The Last Sacrifice
by MuffinzRule
Summary: The world is ending, and Maximum Ride longs for the heart of a deserter, Fang. Angel and Ella may be dead. Her world is in shades of gray. The Doomsday group shadows her life. Tears stain her face. In this doom and gloom, will her last sacrifice be found?
1. Chapter 1: Angel

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! I DO NOT OWN THE MAXIMUM RIDE SERIES (I WISH). I ONLY OWN THE OC'S.

I just want to say sorry to all my readers because I can't update regularly. I have a busy school schedule, so I might not update for weeks. Also, I would really appreciate anyone who reviews, because that is the best motivation I can get. Thanks!

_**BOOK ONE: IT'S RAINING MUTANTS AND BLOOD**_

**Chapter 1**

Max's POV**  
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I still tasted the concrete dust in the air. The sky was gray. The land was gray. I was gray. Bomb crews in bright orange suits shuffled here and there, police officers with their cherry-red and sky-blue flashing lights hurried behind me, cautioning other people to stay back from the wreckage. Paris is ruined. The world is ruined.

My life is ruined. What's the diff? _Don't be so bitter,_ says the Voice. **That's hard to do, considering that I was born with it beside me.** I reply.

A single tear drips from my cheek. I haven't cried since Fang left me. He doesn't care about you now. He left to pursue his dream._ Let him go,_ says the Voice. **Shut up!** I scream back. Now Angel was gone as well. Angel, my cute-yet-freaky seven-year old, my baby, who had the heart to save a French woman's son, to sacrifice herself to save an entire city of people. She was dead.

Because of me.

I'm choking back sobs, but nothing stops the tears that stream down my face in a steady flow. I am a terrible, terrible leader. I try to stop the feelings of self-pity. Inside my head there are flashes: raging fires, a massacre, a death plague. Images flood through my mind, mostly of Angel. Angel laughing, smiling, even when she was a traitor, she always followed her heart and came back. But now she couldn't.

Strong arms embrace me. Dylan's arms. _He's your soul mate,_ says the Voice. **You said that Fang was,** I growl. But I can't help but sink into Dylan, head perfectly level with his shoulder, clinging on like a little kid afraid of losing a teddy bear. The people who I loved the most are gone from my world. He's all I have left. He lets me wail and sob into the nylon of his running shirt. He traces little circles on the inside of my wing, making me feel somewhat comforted. When my spring of tears is dry, I am surprised as he tenses his muscles and starts to carry me inside a house. Exhaust hits me like a bullet. My eyelids feel like thirty-six pounds. Each. They droop, and I'm asleep before my head hits a pillow.

Fang's POV

I bang my head against a wall. Get out of my head! I screamed in my mind. I had been thinking about Max. Seeing her again, so broken beyond repair, I just wanted to come back and comfort her. But I had to leave her. What had I done? By leaving, her leadership might have actually gone worse. Flashing pictures blind my head: Max flying, wind billowing through her hair. Max laughing, a sound that I longed to hear over and over, like the tinkling of bells. Max's eyes, warm and chocolate brown, when she looked at me.

_*Flashback - 2 days ago._

_Did I just see Max? No, it's just another girl._

_*Flashback - Yesterday_

Max? Nope. I could have sworn that this was her...

"Arrgh!" I mutter. Wherever I go, it seems like some part in me longs to be with the flock again. It's been days, days, days I've been thinking about this. It'll never be the same. Even if I flew back, Max would probably never accept me. But I have to try. I raise my eyes from the drywall, taking in a breath of air.

"Guys... I don't know how to say this, but I think I have to leave the flock," I say simply. Better to be straightforward.

Ratchet looks stricken, Kate and Star simply quiet. Our motel room is eerily silent, as if everywhere we go, death and the Doomsday group will follow us forever. I clear my throat and continue.

"You guys... you can have Maya as a leader. I think she deserves it." I gesture to Max 2 - I mean, Maya. "I... need to go back. I need to take responsibility for what I've done..."

"Wait!" spits Star. "You can't just leave us, idiot. You brought us all here. Do something about it. It's not like you can get out of this responsibility as well: us."

"Yeah. If you start something, you gotta finish it," growls Starfish.

"He left his girlfr- Max," says Kate, catching herself, "and I think that is reason enough that he wishes to go back. How would you feel, Star, if someone you loved left you when you needed them most?"

"All the same," she says, snarling, "I think I would put that "someone" where his responsibilities lie. How do you even know that she will accept you, Fang?" she asks. I say nothing. I can't know.

"Look, Fang is a good leader, and I think most of his decisions make sense. He probably thought this through carefully, all the pros and cons. Sometimes you have to give up something for another," defends Ratchet.

"It just so happens that he is not making a profit here!" snaps Starfish. "If this is a business offer, he is losing money! He stays." Star nods her consent.

"This is not a business offer! Life is not some video game. Once you fail, you can't start from the last save point," Kate growls.

Maya stands up shakily from the comfy chair where she was sitting.

"Do you really wish to have a leader who no longer wished to lead?" she challenges. Star growls. Starfish just shakes his head. Ratchet has a relieved look on his face.

"I'm really sorry, guys. I want to be with you, and be your leader, but I can't. I can't bear living without Max," I finish. "Maybe, someday, we'll cross paths again..." I exit, shuffling out the door. One part of me feels relieved that I can see Max again. Another feels guilty about leaving my flock/gang. The last part just feels like saying, "What the hell?"


	2. Chapter 2: The Real Beginning

**Chapter 2**

Max's POV

I manage to rip my crusted eyelids open. My throat is swollen and I have a dry cough. I can't say a thing, only make small, strangled sounds. My eyes are red and filled with sleep. My wings feel stiff and I open them slowly, wincing as my muscles stretch. I feel cold... freezing cold. Shivers run down my back and bones. I pull up my bed covers closer to me.

I close my eyes, feeling a burning sensation, and listen to the clatter outside my room. Water running. Gazzy's voice. Silence. A mass of laughter and shouting, and finally, a real conversation. Akila barking, Total translating. I smell Iggy's famous bacon, eggs sunny-side up, and toast. Usually, the smell of Iggy's cooking would have me up at ready at any time, but now it was making me feel nauseous. Bile slithers up my throat. I clutch my stomach and run to the bathroom, retching into the open toilet. The white of the bathroom blinds me, after my room being so dark and gloomy. But I know that someone is behind me, holding my hair back from my face.

"QWERRTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM!" I spit.

"Max? I'll tell everyone you're sick. The area where Angel was has been closed off because of toxic fumes. I think you breathed them in for too long when the explosion happened and you went to search for her."

I manage to limp over to the sink, and wash out my mouth and face. Dylan's gentle turquoise blue eyes stare at me. He pulls an arm around me, and leads the way back into my room. I'm exhausted, and collapse on the bed, ready to take a few hours sleep. I try to push Dylan away when he helps me sit up.

"You have to eat something," says Dylan firmly. He holds up a tray, with a simple type of porridge in it. He pours some liquid in. The bottle says, "FOR ALL SYMPTOMS OF TOXIC FUME INHALATION". I refuse to eat, but to my surprise, Dylan feeds me the stuff. He shovels it into my mouth before I can protest.

"The flock needs you now. They lost Fang, and Angel, and they can't survive if they lose their leader as well."

The drugs he gave me is making me dopey and more asleep than ever. I take sips of water, my head bobbing back down, sinking into the pillow. Dylan leaves the room, comes back with an extra blanket. He brings another glass of water, just in case.

Well, he couldn't just sit down and watch me shiver, could he? Instead, he lifted the blankets and climbed in beside me. Through the hotness of my fever, a cool bliss seemed to puncture through my body. He wrapped his arms around me. If this was a dream, I wouldn't want it to end.

Fang's POV

I winced at the sunlight in my eyes. I move closer to the shade of the tree, now taking a careful look at my blog. Yesterday, I had posted a question - "Have you seen the flock lately? When did you see them?" I analyze the answers that had come up. The most recent was from Josie, somewhere in downtown Paris, on April 8th, and several more people added on that they had seen black shapes moving through the clouds as well.

I close my computer, concentrating by pinching the bridge of my nose. I figure that it'll take about two hours to find the flock like this. I stand up, snap my wings open, and fly into the blue noon sky. The clouds look fluffier than ever, but they're really cold and wet. My night-black wings are buffeted by the wind, which is also flying into my face.

But that doesn't stop me from seeing seven, large, hairy, flying lizards.

They are all a gruesome brown, a colour that delicious things never are. A purple stamp of "GEN 77" is tattooed on their dragon-like wings. Their claws are serrated like steak knives, teeth razor sharp. They blow it on me with all their hairy fury. I am ready for them.

As much as they are Gen 77 kids, I kicked their butts right off to the next zip code. They were strong, heavy, mass murder machines, but I was a light, easy, efficient killer. I pack my wings tighter, and with a flick, I send my muscled-dragon flying. Snap kicks, roundhouse kicks, crotch shots, all come into use. At the back of their neck, there is a design flaw. There is an extra little bone hanging out, and a good hit with that and they are done for. Soon, the Gen 77s were dropping down, smoking. They really must have been robots with outer layer skin. One last robo-dragon faces me. I recognize that this must be the leader, as it can breathe fire. I fly at him but miss, yet slamming into him using my wing. It packs a punch, but the robo-dragon also kicks my arm, and I hear a snap. As a final move, I karate-chop its head with my good arm. It goes spiraling down.

The clouds don't look fluffy anymore. They look menacing. The sky becomes gray and dull. I wince at the pain in my arm. It's obviously broken. Yet hope glimmers in me because I can see the hotel that Max is staying in as shown in my blog: Chateau Blanche. Skinny as a stick, getting skinnier as it points to the sky. I could hardly see it through through the mushroom clouds of concrete dust. But one thing caught my eye: the obvious orange-blue explosion of Gazzy cooking up another recipe for trouble. I'd know that explosion anywhere.

Home. The flock. Where I belong.

I'd like to say that I prefer to keep it at Fang and Max's points of view (POV's) and keep the suspense about Angel going. By the way, I am not on Team Dylan, I am a newbie on Team Fang. The beginning kinda different from what I just said, but things are going to change soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Just Hold on To It

**Chapter 3**

I'm awake, dizzy, but much better from the night before. I open my eyes to see that Dylan has wrapped his arms around me, our legs entwined under the blankets. Awkwardly, I try and stand up without him noticing, but I know that his eyes are wide open, clear blue-turquoise eyes.

"Watching me sleep now? That's a bit stalkerish, Dylan," I joke. He laughs. It sounds like thousands of tiny stars, twinkling, laughing in the distance.

"Wakey-wakey, Sleepyhead. It's twelve, time for lunch," he says.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"I thought you needed the sleep. Yesterday was rough."

As we walk out the door, I realize that he's pulled his hand into mine. They fit perfectly._ I told you so,_ says the Voice. **Shut up,** I answer. **Besides, where were you when I was sick yesterday?** We walk down the hall into the living room. As soon as I enter, I see Gazzy flick on a torch with a blue flame. He hits a strange detonator-thing, and it makes an orange-blue explosion. Smoke rises from the table. I choke, tears streaming out of my eyes. It might be dangerous. _Make sure it's not,_ the Voice instructs. **Get out of my life, mind, and body!** I think back.

"Gazzy? What was that? Is anyone hurt?" I demand.

"Nothing, just makes a lot of smoke. It's my new experiment," replies Gazzy. "It doesn't hurt anyone, but It sure does make it hard for one person to follow another. Do you like it? An extra-strength smoke bomb! It'll be around for a few hours."

_Deal with it,_ the Voice says. _Report, then go to the diner._ I groan. "Report!" I yell. "If everyone's okay, we'll eat out at the mid-town diner."

"Fine!" everyone choruses. Akila barks twice. At that moment, a voice speaks up.

"Miss me?"

Fang.

Fang's POV

I missed that old call of "Report!" every few seconds when Max thought we were in danger. Right now, everyone was staring at me like I was an alien from outer space. Nudge is the first to speak up.

"Fang?" she shrieks. Everyone echoes her. "Fang?"

"Hey," I answer. I smile. "I'm back. And I'm starving."

"Hello," says Max coldly. I don't blame her. Dylan glares at me. Yet I blame him. They seem to be the only ones who are not happy to see me. Gazzy runs up and hugs me.

"Now we'll save Ella and Angel for sure!" he squeaks. I nod, even though I had no idea that Ella had been kidnapped. Worry #32 - Ella. For Max, it would probably be Worry #794.

"Let's get going then. It's nearly two, and the service is slow," growls Max. Oops. She's really pissed. I notice how Dylan tries to inch closer to her. I shoot a steely gaze at him, and he stares right back. Max and the rest of them pick their way through out of the smoke, and make their way out the door. I follow, close with Iggy and Gazzy - they seem happiest that I came back. Nudge the chatterbox is talking away to Max, Max trying to look interested, failing, and Nudge then turning to Dylan. He does a much better job. Is it just me, or while he's looking at Nudge, is he also sending eyebrow and smile messages to Max? And is Max responding? I narrow my eyes, trying to concentrate on Gazzy telling me stuff about his new smoke bomb. Whatever's going on between Dylan and Max, it's going to stop now.

Max's POV

I glance at Dylan, he smiles back, reassuring me that everything's okay. For some reason, he makes me feel that way. I take a few deep breaths and sit next to him. I notice that Fang definitely does not like that. Just because he left you does not mean you should shun him, the Voice scolds. He is a good fighter, and used to be your second-in-command, it continues. It's better to keep your relationship platonic (not romantic). Do you think I would like him back? I'll barely listen to your advice on keeping him in the flock, but I need no help with keeping our relationship platonic. He's a deserter, a crap-ass boyfriend. I respond. We order shakes, and practically the entire menu.

"Are you sure you'll be able to eat all this?" asks the waitress in a French accent, frowning.

"We eat a lot," I respond. She nods. We've been here before, and the waiter we had had had probably let out the message that six kids and two dogs had come here, and had eaten all the food in the kitchen: twice. Despite what I said, service is actually very fast, and the six large fries, six shakes, three chocolate and three vanilla, and two mini-spaghetti plates are out in two minutes. I start on the fries, dipping them into my chocolate shake, then absently eating them, devising a plan on how to get Ella back. Angel, we don't even know if she's alive. Nudge laughs. I stare dumbly at her.

"Look, you and Dylan are both dipping fries into the chocolate and you both have that deep-thought look on!" Nudge laughs. I tun around, just to see Dylan smiling and chuckling a bit too. Whatever. I'm more interested in the eighteen burgers we ordered. Three for each of us. I throw ketchup, mustard, pickles, and mayo all at once onto my burger. Not to mention that I asked for a side order of onion rings with each burger.

Bon Appetite!

Max's POV

I look casually around all the cushiony teddy-bears and hearts in the gift shop. Cute displays of the Eiffel Tower are shown all over on keychains, photos, and pillows.

"Max, pleeeeeeaseeeee," Nudge begs when I deny her a t-shirt. Dylan shoots a glance at me. He wants me to say yes. I close my eyes.

"Fine."

"YAYY!" she yells. I have to admit, it is a pretty t-shirt. Dylan pulls around over to me.

"Just because you're the boss doesn't mean you have to be boss-y. Give them some freedom. Nudge is twelve. Gazzy's nine. They're growing up. Can't treat them like kids forever. You're like their mother, obsessing over every little thing they do," he laughs.

"You're fired!" I pretend to say, and Dylan laughs again. He holds a tiny glass Eiffel Tower. PARIS is written on the sides. I curiously turn it over with my hands. It's beautiful, a mixture of different colours and textures.

"How much is this?" I ask him.

"Free. I made it for you at an art gallery I visited while you were asleep. I thought you'd appreciate it as a token of how we visited here."

I gape. Someone. Made. Something. For. Me?

"Th-Thanks..." I manage to say. He smirks.

"Don't be embarrassed. You're cute when you stutter."

He walks away, leaving me with a bunch of feelings I can't unfold.

Fang's POV

I lead Max over to the back of the alley. If looks could kill, I'd be dead. Mind you, she thinks of her flock like her children, even Dylan and Iggy. After all, she is the leader. Leaving them inside a diner while talking to her ex-boyfriend in the next-door alley is a no-no - too much for her. Of course. We get to the back. Lights flicker over our heads. It's getting dark.

"What do you want to talk about that I have to leave eating for?" she complains.

"Look, I just wanted to say, can you please stop treating me like dirt? I came back to help you. At least be grateful," I plead. Uh-oh. Not how I wanted it to come out. I can literally see steam pouring out of her ears.

"Grateful? Grateful!" she spits. "Look, you left me when I needed you most. You left without saying goodbye. You leave a lame, freaking NOTE on a table, call me back, saying you need me, you give me false hope, you break us apart again, and now you want me back? Is this how you roll? Once you got someone's love, you simply break it over and over again? How can I ever trust you again after you've left us so many times?" she hisses. Frustrated, I try and argue.

"Look, Max, when I called you, I needed you to help my own flock defeat the Doomsday Group. Not to call you to say that I wanted us to be together again."

"Does that matter? It suggested that we were getting back together," she shoots back. "Maybe Doctor Gunther-Munther was right. Dylan is far better for me than you...you failure!" She storms out of the alley, right back into the diner. I punch my fist against the bricks. My skin rips open and it bleeds, but that'll never compare with the hole that Max has left in my heart.


	4. Chapter 4: Love Your Enemy Not

**Chapter 4**

Max's POV

I storm away, angered by Fang's indifference. Grateful? Fat chance. I get back to the diner, the reds and yellows and whites of it blinding me after the dark alley. Dylan knows I want to be alone, so he keeps a certain distance from me.

"Let's go," I say sourly. "It's eight exactly. The diner's closing."

Nudge, Iggy, Gazzy, and Dylan all excuse themselves to the bathroom. Akila and Total excused themselves to the dumpster. Fang shadows the outside of the door. I take a deep breath. _Don't be bothered,_ the Voice instructs. _It's not worth to be angry about. It's a good thing you were planning on bringing Ella back. Your mother must be stricken. So is Iggy. He isn't moving his butt anywhere until Ella is found. Don't just sit there. You're a leader: do something!_

**Shut up! I knew all that already. Sometimes I wish you were never there!** I think. Weird. Ever since Fang came back, the Voice has become more and more chatty. When Fang left, it disappeared entirely. #67 on my "look-into" list. Not to mind #66, whether I love Dylan or not.

Everybody gathers around. We're all here, but why do I have a feeling that something's wrong? I look outside. I realize that the lights no longer look warm and welcoming, they look evil and ominous. I narrow my eyes. Obviously, something was going on outside

I open the door, and brace myself for attack.

"KRRREEEECCCHHHH!"

Fang's POV

"Scatter!" I hear Max say. In front of us are eight giant falcons, with GEN 77 - ANIMAL REPRODUCTION tattooed on it's side. On top are four lizard-men, four lizard women. They have tails, and a long, sticky tongue, plus extra sticky hands, and they can also camouflage into the background. Their clothes have GEN 77 printed all over them. Adrenaline surges through my blood, and I immediately attacked the first one. It turned invisible in a second, but I realized a design flaw: when in camouflage, everything would be invisible, but their eyes show clear as day - they shine in the darkness, a glowing mixture of red, orange, and yellow.

"THE EYES!" I yell at Dylan and point to the eyes. He nods, then points to where the neck should be. I send out a sharp snap kick before the lizard-man can move. It hits the exact target, the spot on its neck, and it collapses to the ground. Camouflage is reduced, and I can see that their necks are slender, non-durable.

Two more surround me. I snap a nice roundhouse kick, sending them flying off me. Max catches one, Iggy the other, and they snap the necks in one fluid motion. Only the falcons to take on now. All the lizard-men and women are dead, but they crystalize into dust, littering the ground. Another precaution, so that they cannot be studied by us and gain knowledge.

I spin around, just to be face to face with a mega-falcon. It screeches and tries to rake its talons down my side. I dodge, but not quick enough that the falcon scrapes my left leg. I whip out my wings, glaring at the falcon. Let's take it on, one-on-one, in the air is what my glare says. We fly up into the air. To be honest, I was impressed with the swiftness of a thing that was at least twelve times my size. But my wings were much better angled for speed. I zip around, desperately searching for a chink in the falcon's armour.

There! Right where the chest waves into the neck, there is an awkward lump of a bone. I fly right into it, fist slamming into it like Superman. I swear I can hear the falcon's bone shatter into thousands of pieces. It let's out a final cry, then spirals to the ground. I have no time for victory, as one of its brothers and one of its sisters try and snap at me with their beaks. One barely misses me by the foot. I fly around, getting them dizzy, tired, and frustrated, and ram into them just like I did before. They too, spiral into the ground and burst into tiny granules of dust.

"We did it!" cries Gazzy triumphantly.

"Jeez, those GEN 77 clothes need some help from the fashion police!" says Nudge.

"Let's go. No time to waste. Faster we make a plan to save Ella, faster we can defeat the Doomsday group," says Max glumly. She's not excited about the victory. I don't blame her. Every time we have a victory, we just have to face more and more battles. It's been like that her whole life, and it's probably gonna stay like that.

Fang's POV

We're at a pit stop, because Nudge so wanted to see some gift shops in Paris. Dylan and Max are sitting on a bench together. I am pretending that I don't notice them, but something catches my eye. Dylan is shuffling closer to Max.

And I think I die a little inside when Max leans forward and kisses him.

Max's POV

There was something about kissing Dylan that was different from kissing Fang. If Fang was the night, Dylan was day. If Fang was an asteroid, Dylan was a shooting star. If Fang was a river shadowed by forests and and shrubs, Dylan was a giant lake, glittering in the sunlight. Dylan's an open book. Fang is concrete.

Just because Fang's like that doesn't mean that he wasn't special...

Dylan's love is given to everyone. He likes, loves, is the brother or father of everyone he meets. It is not uniquely special.

Fang's love was given only to me. Dark and sullen, no one knew his soft side except me. When I stand near him, my smallest talents are gold. He makes me love the life in my lungs so that I can live with and for him, and he lives for me...

No.

He was a traitor.

He left me, alone...

Dylan was there to catch me, when Fang let me fall from his grasp. He was solid, dependable. Fang was so unpredictable.

But that doesn't mean I don't love him.

Or Angel. Or Ella.

I'd been thinking about Angel... was she alive? Was Ella alive? More chances of Ella. How to capture her... I can't think. My head hurts, pain in my temples. Not another headache. But this one is strange. A message... breaking out...

"Max," it says. "Max, only one can find me. Only one can heal me - a new blood. And only you can save me. The one who I prophesied death... Fang has the power to dream-travel." I shake my head. This was making no sense. But it was definitely Angel. "Fear," she says. "Fear is their power. Do not fear them, Max. There are many qualities you have not discovered..."

The message... it's gone.

And so is Angel.


	5. Chapter 5: I Don't Know What To Say

**Chapter 5**

Max's POV

I take a deep breath, watching all the members of my flock carefully. They'll have to be as informed as they can.

"It is time that we bring Ella back home, where she belongs." A spark of hope fills Iggy's eyes. _Make sure that he won't do anything reckless,_ the Voice advises. "I have devised a plan. We will split into two groups - Fang, Gazzy, and Iggy, and Dylan, Nudge, and me. Fang will be leader of the first party. I will be leader of the second." Nods and agreements fill the room. "The second party will be the first attack squad. The first party will snoop, gather information, and be a second attack wave. Don't bite off more than you can chew - don't want to fight to many Gen 77s at once. We're here to kidnap, not to sabotage."_ Nice words,_ comments the Voice.

Everyone choruses, "We're ready."

"Your leader Fang will tell you the details, and I will as well." Everyone separates.

"So Nudge, we're have to get info from the Fang's group to know when and where we should attack and get the most out of it."

"Wouldn't I be more helpful with my powers to extract data from computers?" she asks.

"We'll build on that," I continue. Unfortunately, Dylan's blue eyes grow misty, then sharpening back into our world.

"Quick! They've overheard us! Get away from the door!" he shouts. I zip away, bracing myself, and all hell breaks loose.

Fang's POV

*CRASH*

Out of the dust, I can clearly see leopard men and women on mutilated versions of a wolf-tiger combination. All of them circle us in a second. I guess predatory instincts help. Us bird kids enclose ourselves into a tiny circle. An unspoken message goes through us.

One...Two...Three! I think. At that exact moment that the wolves jump for me, I throw a kick that knocks a leopard woman right off her wolf.

The wolf snarls, but I smack it away with a hard punch.

As for the leopard woman, she's harder. I play kung-fu fighting with her for a while until she tries to slice me right open with her inch-long claws. I dodge, wings now flapping, and I gain momentum, aim... and fire!

I hover-fly right into her, foot kicking her face, part of my wing slamming into her abdomen, making her choke. I don't miss the chance and grab her by the neck, searching for a design flaw. There is always at least one.

She hisses and I realize that her teeth have grown, and are now at least a foot long each. Spots run down her arms and legs, wherever I can see skin that is not covered by the army uniform.

I plow into her and realize that her bone density is much, much, higher than mine. I figure, however, that this makes it hard for her to be airborne. I slice through the air, launching spins, kicks, punches.

She cannot attack me, and neither can she defend very well. With a final blow to the neck, she yowls and disappears into dust. I whip around to face her wolf, but it is dead as well. Their spirits are linked together in a way that they can see through each other's eyes.

I turn around, only to find more and more Gen77s... cougars, lions, and tigers, all riding the same tiger-wolves or black as night panthers. Nudge squeals as she is pinned down by a gruff looking cougar-man. Max is fighting three lions, who are all roaring with anger. Dylan is caught by two tigers off-guard. I leap into the air, knocking one out of its jump. I kick its face, running quickly, and they whip around in circles to try and catch me. Five more cat-men and women surround me. Gazzy's swamped by Gen 77s twice as tall as him. We can't win. We can't win.

"Flock! Retreat!" Max calls. "Before it's too late!"

Dylan launches himself through the air and kicks the window, making it shatter.

"Everyone out!"

I count heads as I trail behind. Gazzy, Iggy, Max, Dylan... where's Nudge?

"Max! Fang! Help!" Nudge calls out desperately. She's pinned down by a tiger-wolf, and Dylan just manages to dive and shelter her from a lethal bite. Blood drips down his left leg, and its at an awkward angle.

"Go!"

We fly off, and as we leave, I can literally see the cat-men cackling.

Max's POV

I bind everyone's wounds with bandages from the nearest drug store. I make sure that no one's been left behind. I wince at the scratch on my shoulder.

"We're still going after Ella. We have to," says Iggy. He's obviously trying very hard not to sound depressed. His throat chokes a bit from the stress.

"Too dangerous," replies Fang. He stares hard at Iggy, even though Iggy's blind.

"Risky, but we had plans," says Dylan. I see kindness, forgiveness, and hope in his gaze.

"Let's have both. We stay here for a few days, then Group A leaves. Group A comes back, Group B launches attack, Group A kidnaps. Clear?" I growl. _Max, that's not a good idea, _the Voice grumbles. _Shut up!_ I think back.

Everyone nods. I take a look at my final patient, Dylan. His leg is obviously broken. I don't say anything. He knows what Ella means to Iggy and wants to go on the mission. I can't help but gently stroke his injury. I then briskly make a splint, but I take metal from the trash can next to me for crutches. I then help him sit down on the softest blanket I could find in the Dumpster. While I can, I guess I'm babying him. As much as he can heal himself with his own spit, there's a limit to the stuff he can do.

Everyone falls asleep except Dylan and me. Watching. Waiting. Simply looking at the stars that have risen on such a dead night.

"Do you think Angel's dead?" he asks quietly.

"I killed her," I say bluntly. "I killed her and it's all my fault." I start crying again. I've done lots of asinine things. But this was beyond forgivable. Dylan drapes an arm around me.

"If only I'd made Gazzy get away from all those detonators, she'd be alive right now. With us. I'm such a terrible, terrible leader. I'll never forgive myself."

"You didn't do it," says Dylan harshly. "Angel was the second most forgiving, honest, heroic person I've ever met. She sacrificed herself in an instant to save a city of people."

"Who's the most?" I ask curiously.

He grins. "You."

"She's alive," says Dylan.

"Prove it."

"She sent me a message yesterday... telling me about how she's alive. That Gen77s want to make her a leader... after that, the message just fizzled out."

I jump quick into action. My heart beats faster.

"Where was she? When did this happen?"

"At the diner. When Fang and you... argued."

"We have to find her." I jump up. Dylan pushes me back down.

"You don't understand! Angel sent me a message. That only Fang could find her. Only I could save her. Only you can heal her."

"Relax. Angel can wait until morning. See, you're exhausted. Lie down, have some sleep for once." he says gently.

I protest, but I can't help but obey. Ambition is won over by physical injuries. Every muscle in my body is shrieking with pain and tiredness. Dylan quietly rubs my back, and blows on the back of my neck in the way he knows will help me sleep. He lies down next to me, and I snuggle into his chest. I know he'll always be there for me, no matter what.


	6. Chapter 6: That Pain

**Chapter 6**

Max's POV

Bleary eyes cloud my vision. I rub them, clearing the sleep. I realize I slept right next to Dylan all night. I'm still close to him, arms around my waist. I am aware that Fang is watching. Just to be mean, I snuggle closer, and Dylan pulls me in. He smells clean, spicy, like a fresh new day. Also a lazy day. We weren't moving anywhere. I was firm on sleeping in, at least until we got hungry and I bought something... it would be easier to bring it here. But I'm so tired...

Fang's POV

Carefully, I pick my way out to Max and take the remaining money for food and water. Luckily, we'd been smart. The diner was only a few minutes away. I start walking, sneakers on the sidewalk slapping a little. It sounds loud. The city is usually so noisy, but right now, it was in eerie silence. Like it was waiting... wait, what was that shadow behind the wall? I hide my money deep into my pocket, and pretend I'm just in for a morning jog.

Luckily, the diner was practically right in front of me. I walk in, and the rush of warm air surprises me. I get in line, watching the other customers carefully. I pick someone out, a man with a scraggly beard and thick muscles, that seems to follow me. Not an Eraser, I hope. I've had enough of them.

"Everything, in addition with two mini-breakfast plates," I say distractedly. "To go, please." The woman at the counter's definitely surprised but does not ask questions. I give the money, and I get seventy-five cents in change back. Our money had been just enough to buy us this last meal.

I take the bulging bags of food and listen to the hustle and bustle of the diner. That same scraggly beard man has a low, growly voice. It sounds like he's talking into a receiver. Some Bluetooth device maybe? Cautiously, I take the wrong turn of the road so that he won't know where the rest of the flock is. He follows, pretending to be sightseeing. I know better. I turn right into a gift shop that Nudge visited. It has two exits, one that not many people know about.

I try and lose him in the crowd, and it works. He's gone amongst the tall toys and souvenirs on countless shelves. I hurriedly grab at the hidden door and rush out to the street.

"Going somewhere?"

Max's POV

Now I wake up to the sound of Nudge shrieking. Not the best way to wake up on a Saturday morning.

"Max! Wake up! Fang's gone! He took all the money! He left a note."

God, will history never stop repeating itself? Hmmm. I GUESS THAT SENTENCE SOUNDS FAMILIAR (nudge nudge, wink wink, glare glare, kill kill, okay I'm getting carried away).

I read the note left on the cold sidewalk.

_Dear Flock,_ it says. _I just took the money to buy some breakfast at the diner. Won't be long, Fang, 6:30 AM._ Dylan studies the note and takes a look at his watch, a prize from a small fair game that my mom took us to.

"It's nine forty! He's been gone for over three hours!" says Dylan. He frowns. "He wasn't the lying type. Even Fang wouldn't run off with our last meal ticket. He might have been captured."

I was furious. "Who knows? Fang's gone, he's back, he's gone, he's back, and now he's gone. I knew we shouldn't have trusted him at all. Thinking about it, I never did trust him." Nudge looks shocked. Iggy and Gazzy raise their eyebrows. Dylan sits quietly.

"Angel's prophecy to both of us said that we need Fang to kidnap her back to us. You cure her, and I heal her from there, basically... in that case, we need Fang back." says Dylan. I growl. Trust him to go against me. But his logic's true.

"Fine," I snarl, "We'll get him back." Truth was, I was worried. I cared a lot more for Fang than I just said. But I don't want to believe that.

Fang's POV

I feel bruised, but not bloody. I lift my eyelids ever so slightly open. The room is dark... smells of antiseptic. I choke on the scent, bad memories flooding my mind. But I know this is not the School, nor another Itex branch. It is too eerily silent, filled with what seem like automated robots, instruments of perfection. I struggle against the chains as a face peers in.

Jeb.

Traitor.

"Hello again, Fang. I was hoping to find Max and her flock with you, they could come in use as well. But for now, we've got more work to do," he says. He smirks, looking pleased with himself. If I could, I'd punch him.

"I left my own flock, left Max's flock as well," I answer. "I figure she'll be staying well away from me." Best to try and mislead those whitecoats.

"Too bad. We've already located them anyways - we've tracked them with the a tracker we placed in _all your bird friends, including you._ How else do you think we followed you so closely? They'll be arriving soon, we sent a message from Angel to Max."

I gape, jaw dropping to the ground. "Angel's alive?" If only Max could hear this!

"Taken by us, the Gen77s. I am merely a scientist to help create new abilities in their realm," says Jeb proudly. "As for Max's mother... she was less willing and put into custody. Angel's been cooperative ever since I managed to perform Twysted Mynd Tryck on her. Sending false messages. Unfortunately, a few flaws of the before-twysted Angel pops out now and then."

"You are human. The Gen77s hate you."

"That is where you are wrong," he cackles. He steps back, and he changes before my eyes. A mane springs out of the back of his neck. Claws and teeth grow to over five inches long. His white lab coat is ripped off, and I can see muscles that course down his body. A tail grows out in the back of him, long, with a plumy tuft at the top. He roars, an ear-splitting noise that makes the entire cell tremble.

"Quite an improvement, don't you think?" his voice is rough, deep, loud, raspy. He sounds out instinctive growls and and rakes his claws down the cement, making an awful screeching sound. It leaves me reeling.

"You sicko. Max is your daughter. Max's mother was your wife. Don't you feel anything?"

No response.

Instead, Dr. Gummy Haagen-Dazs struts right in.

"Operation Gen77 Capture Patrol has been progressing well. Subject 4 is yielding to processes." God, what was with all these voice-overs? This one sounded like C3PO. I raise my eyebrows at the new Creepy Jeb. His eyes are misted, cloudy, obvious that he is not in his normal mind state.

"Subject 4? And exactly who is that?" I ask mildly. I try to act meekly curious, but now my voice sounds like a sneer.

Jeb turns, evil smile playing on his lion lips. His onyx eyes stare hard and cold.

"Maximum Ride."

Max's POV

I bite into my lip, blood forming on the end. Hate pulses through my veins. Not to mention the blood that was flowing out of my wrists, rubbed raw by the stupid chains they put on us. Every time this jet jolted up or down, my wrists were yanked this way and that. _Max. Concentrate. If you fall asleep, you will be ever more vulnerable to their use,_ says the Voice. _Easy for you to say, you aren't tied up like a turkey on Thanksgiving, _I reply.

My flock is worse than I am. Gazzy's unconscious, Nudge trying desperately to avoid sleeping in the fear of never getting up again. Iggy just sits, just sits, hope washed away down the drain. I can almost see his life draining, draining, from his misty eyes. Dylan says nothing. He is not tied up. He is crouched in a sitting position in a cage. He busily is concentrating on something far, far away.

_*Start of Flashback*_

_"Scatter!" I scream. I didn't know they'd find us that quickly. I jump to the side, almost knocked out of breath by a heavily built man with talons over six inches long. Retractable, I realize. He's built like a bear, almost, but I'm thrown off guard by his bone density. Extremely light and graceful, he pounces around while I desperately find a way to fight him._

_"Max! Help!"_

_I am distracted by Gazzy's distress call, and the bear rakes its claws down my leg. Blood wells up, bright red against the blue of my jeans. I'm not hindered, and race to his rescue. I dive beneath a large wolf's jaws, just barely missing my arm, and I grab Gazzy. Iggy's already down, Dylan pulling bears and panthers off his back. Nudge screams. Bullets whiz through the air. I can't flap my wings. I just about rip the tranquilizer dart out of my arm when the world goes black._

_*End of Flashback_

I sit, head in hands, simply watching. I've never felt so helpless in all my life. _Max. Grip your chains_, commands the Voice. _No use,_ I reply sadly. _Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're a leader. Now grip the chains as I told you to or I will not shut up,_ the Voice growls. _God, you know me sooooo well._ I've got no choice but to grab the chains.

Amazingly, the chains disintegrate, leaving just dust and my wrists free._ I told you so,_ says the Voice smugly, in that annoying chipper voice.

"Max? I think you just got a new ability," says Nudge's hoarse voice. I am stunned. Was this what Angel meant that I could save her? Somehow, I don't think so. Silently, (even though I am screaming inside) I disintegrate my ankle chains as well, and Iggy's, Nudge's, and Gazzy's. I then disintegrate Dylan's cage lock. The door clicks free. Bloodlust clouds each of our eyes, but we gently ease our way to the middle of the plane. There aren't too many guards around, so I squirm right under the seats of the plane. Gazzy and Nudge are slim enough to simply slip this way and that and avoid anything in their way. Iggy, Dylan and I, however, are much larger and it's more difficult to maneuver.

I freeze.

There's a pair of legs right in front of me. And they're moving.

A head pops up where the feet were.


	7. Chapter 7: Talon

**Chapter 7**

Fang's POV

_Stupid, stupid!_ I tell myself. Erasers were encircling me, new and improved ones. They had retractable wings, claws, and teeth. Must I say more? I position myself better and shoot into the air as soon as two of the Pencils (that is what I'll call these guys) try to smash into me. Instead, they smash into each other. Hairy, snarling beasts.

A flash of movement catches my eye. It can't be another Pencil. As much as these guys are way better than Erasers, I know that nothing could move that fast. Another flash of red. And another. Pencils start dropping down to the ground. One by one, I start killing them as well, mostly by tricking them into gashing each other. As much as their physical appearance has improved, they're still increasingly stupid.

All of them are dead, revealing the flash of red I had seen earlier.

Ella?

Her wings are spread out, a burgundy red colour, explaining the red I'd seen. Her jaw's dropped. I can imagine what I look like too... I can tell that it really is Ella, even though they've altered her quite a bit. Her face and hair are still the same, but they obviously have grafted wings onto her. She's got a tattered T-shirt on, some jeans. Is it just me, or does she look a little too similar to Max? Question Mark?

"Fang?" she asks. She looks like she can't believe that I'm here.

"Ella?" I answer.

"Look, if you're gonna ask questions, you might as well answer mine first," she complains. "Also, who's this Ella you're talking about?" I look at her all funny.

"Hey, I think I know what my name is," she snaps. "I'm Talon. They told me that some newbie chew toy was placed into this stinking dump. Told me his name was Fang. What, you got retractable fangs or something?" I bristle at the word, "newbie".

I don't have time to answer her question. Dr. Gathy Hathy comes in, smiling eerily. Jeering.

"Fang, let me introduce you to another avian-human hybrid not within your "Flock"'s knowledge: Talon. As for your precious Ella... she is Talon as you can see. We made a few adjustments. Not to mention who you're paired off with. Max is getting distracted by you from Dylan."

"Last time I saw her, she was getting all snug with him," I snap, unable to control my anger.

"Anyways," continues the doctor, "we thought we could replace Max with Talon. After all, they have a striking family resemblance."

"Okay, first you tell me to train to become a Gen 77 leader. Then you make me fight these nerds in all these stadiums. Now I'm supposed to pair off with this newbie?" demands Talon. "Come on, I've been working hard at this for days now."

"I refuse to pair off with someone because you want me to," I snarl. "Also, I've had fifteen years of experience, unlike you Talon. Stop calling me a newbie."

"That is all too bad," says the doctor grimly. "Too bad indeed. Because we have all your bird friends locked under high security in the cells right now."

I grit my teeth. There's no way I can get out of this one.

"Well, FANG, (glare at me) you are soooo old generation sixty-four or something. We Generation seventy-sevens can develop at a much faster pace than you can," she growls. God, can she never shut up? Better for me, I guess. Let her do all the talking.

"Bring Subject 4 and Subject 5 to room number 47. Subject 6 and Subject 7 to room number 48. Subject 1 to 49. Subjects 2 and 3 to 50. Check on Subject 8 to perform Twysted Tryck Message," Dr. Gooky Mooky sneers into his receiver.

Max's POV

_*Dream Sequence_

_I am in a cage. I am much smaller, and I realize that two Erasers are grabbing the lock of my dog crate. I cower backwards, but they lift me out anyways. I know what comes next - they torture us with chains, oblivious to our screams. They would measure the time it would take for us to pass out._

_I yell, punching one in the face. It snarls and tries to kick me. It hits its target, and I hear a painful snap of my leg. I hobble, trying to escape, but another holds me back. He opens Fang's cage. Fang is a snarling mess. He launches himself through the air, and bites deep into the Eraser's arm._

_"Don't hurt her!" he screams._

_I am surprised. As much as Fang, Iggy, and I are friends, this seemed a little more than just friendship. I kick out viciously, knocking my attacker down to the ground. Fang claws his nails down the Eraser's face, leaving long blood tracks._

_"Pshaawwww!" snarls the Eraser. He throws Fang into my cage, and the one that's holding me flings me into the same one. They both laugh harsh laughs and slam the cages a little to hard._

_"Fang? Fang? Are you alright?" I ask once the Erasers are gone._

_"My arm's busted," he replies, desperately holding it. I tear off part of my shirt and try and staunch the bleeding. It works for a while, but we know that it's broken._

_"Thanks," he says, gritting his teeth. I'd never seen Fang cry, not even when they tortured us. Instead, he yelled and screamed all his pain._

_"Nah, thank you, " I say. "Thanks for that. I really don't want to go back there." Especially because they had gotten this new scientist's toy that they desperately wanted to experiment with. We got all information from Iggy, who heard everything._

_"I did... what I had to do... you're my best friend," he manages to say._

_"You too, Fang," I reply. "You're my bestest of bestest friends."_

_"Forever?" he asks._

_"Forever," I promise.  
><em>

_*End of Dream Sequence_

My eyes flutter open. I roll over, almost crashing into a large open trash can, spilling over with rotten compost and scrap paper. Why had it been this dream? Was my conscious telling me something? Was it my conscious telling me that I hadn't kept my promise? I knew that... But where was I anyway?

_*Start of Flashback (sorry for the excessive use of italics :D ) _

_"Hey!" I hear. I immediately straighten up and punch the guy in the shnoz. He doubles over, and Nudge underneath trips him, and his arms go flailing down the aisle. I pray for Nudge and Gazzy to just escape without being noticed. "Everyone else will have to follow you," says the Voice. I have no time to answer with a sharp comeback. I motion for Dylan to scramble past the guards. Iggy somersaults through the air, and whips out his wings in the cramped aircraft. They muffle the guards while Dylan attacks from behind. I lash out and snap the door open. The wind outside nearly sends a guard flying outside. I spread my wings and jerkily start flying. Gazzy and Nudge follow, Iggy soon after. Dylan finally manages to get out of the guard's grip and drop himself into the air. We're flying, I think. We're safe for now._

_Unfortunately, a net drapes over us and flying foxes (that is what they seriously look like) sneer at us. The net has tiny, tiny pinpricks and they dig into my skin. I try and drape myself over Nudge and Gazzy to protect them from the stuff. I black out._

_*End of Flashback_

"How nice to see you here."

Fang's POV

I flip my head blindly, opening my eyelids heavily. Where was I? I whip my hand above me, and it touches something soft...

"Hey! What the hell?"

I whip my body upright, ready to kill someone, but it's only Talon. She's glaring at me as she gets up from the floor. I am really confused now.

"Why are we in here? What are they gonna do to us now? And WHY WERE YOU SLEEPING NEXT TO ME?" I literally shout. Her face goes bright red.

"I don't know, I don't know, and I DON'T KNOW!" she screams. "Ugh. You're the one who put your hand in my hair."

"Shut up," I growl.

"You shut up," she snarls back. I take a good look around. We're in some kind of enormous concrete room with bars. Not good.

"Hello, Subjects 6 and 7."

I turn around to see Dr. Garfield Monkey laughing robotically.

"As you can see, this will become a fine simulation of a room for you two to stay in." He presses a switch and the room transforms into a large hotel suite. There's running water and electricity for one thing , but there are also several more accommodations.

"And exactly why the two of us?" I ask suspiciously.

"Firstly, it leaves Max and Dylan free from you. Second, Max will think you're having lots of fun without her. When someone's been betrayed so many times, she's likely to make assumptions," he sneers.

"You aren't going to force us together, though, will you?" asks Talon.

"We really don't care. As much as you could make a fine couple and a second reproduction of an avain-human hybrid is helpful, it is really Max and Dylan that we'll force together." Talon's face grows tomato red when he mentions that we are a "fine couple".

"Max won't let you do that," I growl. "She won't."

"We'll see if she won't when we drug her," he snarls.

Max's POV

My head is spinning like crazy, but that doesn't mean that I can't see the monstrosity Jeb in front of me. He's been mixed with some kind of... lion, maybe?

"Hello, Subjects 4 and 5. You will be taken shortly to the operating room once we are done with your orientation." He smiles, fangs showing underneath his lion lips. _Fang!_ I think. _Where is he?_

"First, tell me about Ella, Fang, and possibly Angel?" I ask. _Not too many questions at once, or else he might not even answer one, _growls the Voice.

"Ella is no more," he laughs. "She is now Talon, a new avian-human hybrid." Crap! Now my half-sister is a freak like us. _It is an improvement. Now she can be part of the flock, _sighs the Voice. _Shut up, I want to hear what he's saying! _I snarl back.

"As for Fang," he continues, "Talon was made to pair off with him."

"Whoah, whoah!" I say. "Wait a second, exactly why do you want her with him?" My distrust grows more on Fang.

"You know he doesn't care about you anymore," he snarls. "Why do you care?"

"Fang loved me for _part_ of his life. I think that counts for _something_," I growl. He ignores me.

"And," he says gleefully, "as for Angel, I've performed the Twysted Mynd Tryck on her, making it so she does anything we tell her to." I gape. Angel is alive? I could simply live on that belief. But I know I have to rescue her somehow... wait, Fang was meant to. I was only supposed to save her.

"Time's up," he sneers. "Time for something good to happen in our way at last. Now let's see who'll be laughing afterwards!"


	8. Chapter 8: Break Out

**Chapter 8**

Hi! I'd just like to say thank you to reviewer PurpleTea88 for suggesting content for The Last Sacrifice. If you look at previous chapters, I may have changed the wording or added in extra scenes. Thanks, PurpleTea88!

I _will_ be labeling who's POV is who's, because apparently it is very confusing. For now, I am mostly switching between Max and Fang, but I might flip over to Dylan's POV soon... Anyways, I have a poll up, whether this story should have a tragic ending, a happy ending, or both (you'll see). I'd like anyone's opinion, please!

From now on, I will only use bold for chapter titles. Max's thoughts will all be in italics, just like the Voice, so pay _close attention_ to what they are saying. I _WILL NOT _change the past chapters to this because I am lazy :). Just a heads up for the future chapters.

I'd really appreciate anyone who reviews, even if all they say is something negative. I can't update consistently: please forgive me! Thanks! :o)

**Two days ago: Watching random stuff on YouTube. "Wait, shouldn't I be doing something?" One hour later: Damn it! My homework!**

BTW, PurpleTea88, I labeled this story with only Max as a character, and put in "Any character" for Character B. So necessarily, there isn't a lot of Fax. I was planning to have some (that is why this is rated T) but I think I might just change the rating and go on without Fax. I'm just _**really **_bad at making Fax scenes. I don't have a friend or anyone helping me out, so it's kinda hard for me to describe stuff because James Patterson didn't really describe much, and I haven't experienced it or anything either (_yeah, I think I need someone to like me for A FREAKIN' TWO SECONDS_). So yeah... sorry for any deficiencies. Now, on with the show!

Fang's POV

I carefully make my way over to the couch. Since there is only one bed, (those sick scientists) Talon and I played rock, paper, scissors to see who who won the comfy blankets. Unfortunately, that girl has a sixth sense for that game and I lost miserably. We literally played 17 out of 33 and I lost 0:17.

I saunter casually to the couch, hiding my worry for the rest of the flock. Talon studies me.

"You're worried about something," she says. "Spill the beans. I've never gotten out of this stupid facility." I sigh. There's thing about how Talon talks that makes you feel kind of comforted and annoyed at the same time.

"I belong to a group of bird kids like you and me, and we call ourselves our flock," I say, treading on my words carefully. I still don't trust her, and after all, they were planning to make her some Gen 77 leader. "We're like a family, and we've been running and hiding all our life." God, I make us sound like cowards. "We've fought off lots of things before, but now I think we're stumped with the Doomsday Group."

"I'd like to go outside someday," she says. "Like a beach or something. I heard about those places."

I close my eyes, remembering that day when Max kissed me on that beach. I remember how the ocean waves lapped at the shore, and the sand rustled in the wind...

And suddenly, I'm there.

I can literally see the entire beach right in front of me. Stunned, I try and pick up some sand and make sure it isn't a dream. I pick up the sand, and I can feel the tiny granules slipping out of my hand. I splash my feet into the water. The ocean pounds the rocks, spraying me with water. I breath the air, and it smells salty and humid.

"Fang? FANG? What's wrong? Where are you?"

Only Talon's cry brings me back from the far beach. I'm dismayed by the now dreary surroundings.

"Talon! You broke me out of the best dream I've had in _ages_!" I snap at her. She looked scared before, now she looked a little sympathetic, but mostly frustrated.

"Fang, you were _disappearing right in front of my eyes_. I think I have a reason to scream," she growls. I simply frown at her.

"Are you telling me I developed a new power?" I ask. I remember how the dream had been so _real_. Did this mean I could teleport?

First thought: MUST FIND MAX!

Second thought: MUST FIND ANGEL!

Third thought: MUST FIND ELLA!

Fourth thought: MUST FIND MAX'S MOM!

Last thought: Maybe it would be easier with the last three if I talked to Max and then breached security...

"Talon. I have to do the thing again. Don't freak out if I disappear, okay?" She nods.

I wait, thinking about Max.

Five minutes later: No effect.

Ten minutes later: No effect.

Twenty minutes later: No effect.

"Goddammit~ (ZOMG! It's the squiggle!) !" I snarl. "Why isn't this working?" Maybe I can test the beach memory again. I sit, concentrating, but nothing good comes out of it.

"Last time, I was talking when you closed your eyes and daydreamed. Maybe I can talk to you again," suggests Talon.

"But you don't know anything about Max," I say miserably.

"Tell me," she says.

The next thirty minutes is Storytelling with Fang. I don't think I've talked so much ever since Gazzy needed a "talk" from me because he'd blown up the microwave sky-high. "So she doesn't love you anymore?" Talon asks afterwards. Ouch. She's hit a soft spot.

"Maybe..."

"Close your eyes," commands Talon. I do so. "Fang, remember your first kiss, when Max kissed you after Ari beat you up? Think about that..." I think. "Fang, what about that time when Max confessed she loved you when you were nearly killed? Think, Fang. Remember the time when you flew with the hawks, and you felt that feeling of love when Max flew with her wings spread out, wind splaying her hair..."

Max's POV

I was struggling against the gurney straps, busily trying to break out. Dylan beside was doing the same, worriedly looking around the operating room. It's so white, it blinds my eyes. Different canisters of liquids are placed here and there. Lots of hypodermic needles. Not good. Usually, Dylan or I would be snapping the straps like they were rubber bands, but they'd drugged us and now we were weaker than newborn kittens.

Do I have to tell you how _awkward_ it is for you to be lying beside a guy that you are to inevitably love and have sex with?

AWKWARD. TURTLE. (or FAT MAN. SWIMMING.)

"All systems are complete, sir..."

"Raise hormone level to 67%..."

A needle is jabbed into Dylan's skin, and he winces, face contorted in pain.

"As for the female?"

"Raise her level to 78%... no response from the boy? Raise level to 93%..."

I feel a sharp pain as another needle stabs my arm. I'm used to it, considering all the days at the School.

"Still no response from the boy..."

"Raise level to 100%..."

"Girl's good to go, sir.."

"Raise boy's level higher... no response..."

"Raised to 132%, sir... perfect."

The world is swimming before my eyes. _Hormones? _I thought. _Now where have I heard that before... _I look back at my sexual-education classes. _They need him to produce sperm and you to produce an egg more quickly than normal, so that is why they're injecting you with hormones, _growls the Voice. _They're going to inject you with his sperm. It's faster than to get pregnant normally, but less of a chance of success._

"Sir! The girl has rejected..."

"Impossible!"

"Sir! You can tell from her DNA that she is not normal in any senses at all..."

"Alert Officer 6 to take them back to their cells."

"Hormone level too high! It might be dangerous..."

I hear a crash, and the two scientists experimenting yell. One yell is cut short.

"Max, I'll have you out of there!"

Fang?

_Careful! Max, your hormone level's gone so high that... _the Voice is drowned out by a rush that covers me from head to toe. Shoot, as if the sex-crazy dreams hadn't been enough.

Fang's POV

I smashed right through the wall! How cool is that?

After several minutes of just Talon reciting stuff to me, I managed to get into where Max was. I came just in time to see that they were injecting her with something labeled, "HORMONES. CAREFUL, EXTRA USE MAY END IN FAILURE." Crap! I didn't need anyone to tell me what it was for. I rush out and snap one of the scientist's necks, and the other freezes, paralyzed by fright. I push him into the wall so hard that he literally makes a dent in the drywall. He falls unconscious.

"Max, I'll have you out of there!" I yell. I snap the cords in half, and both Dylan and Max are set free. As soon as they are, Max jumps up and starts kissing Dylan in a frenzy. Dylan kisses back, and pulls Max closer.

Any other time, I would have just felt jealous and walked away, but right now I didn't. Inside me, something snaps.

"I did not come here to watch you guys start making out!" I yell. Max ignores me, just keeps at it with Dylan. Her eyes are hazy, obviously meaning she wasn't in the right mind state. Dylan's eyes are like that too, but I think more they're glittering with lust.

"Cut it out!" I yell. "We don't have a lot of time! We need to find the flock!" I sweep my eyes around the room for something I can use.

Another bottle, I notice, holding a pale orange liquid, is labeled, "ANTI-HORMONES. IN CASE OF EXTRA-HORMONIC REACTIONS. USE SPARINGLY." I grab a needle from a bin and busily ready it for injection.

Max's POV

Mist clouded my eyes until I could only see Dylan. Something inside me was screaming, screaming at me to run up to him and kiss him. As soon as the cords were undone, I jumped up and locked my lips against his.

"Mmmmmmm."

He fell right into it, and we battled with out tongues for a while. _He tastes like chocolate, _I think dreamily. His blonde hair and turquoise eyes make him look sexier than I've ever seen him. We kiss for a long time until we break off for air. (I can hear all Fax fans going, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" All Dax/Mylan (I think) fans (which I hope are not very many) go, "YESSSSSSSSSS!")

At that exact moment, a pinprick enter my arm, and I feel... normal again. The whine of that animal inside me has quieted down. The mist is gone. Dylan looks normal. I can see the room... and Fang.

Um, I think the technical term for this is an "oops".

Fang looks furious. His hair is the tiniest bit mussed up, he holds an empty needle in his hand, and his brow is furrowed with anger.

"God, go get yourself killed, will you?" he spits.

"Look I got injected with stuff so keep your trap shut. How the hell did you get here anyways? Not that I'm complaining." I growl.

"I can travel using a daydream. Talon helped me." Talon? Oh yeah, the girl he was supposed to hook up to. Why is it that every time I hear her name, my hands clench into fists?

"I see," I say coldly. "Fang, we need to find the rest of the flock. Do you remember where they are?"

He has a dark look on his face as he tries to remember.

"I only remember their numbered names," he growls. "Subject 1 to 49. Subjects 2 and 3 to 50. Subject 8 to perform Twysted Tryck Message. I know that you are Subject 4, Dylan's Subject 5, I am Subject 6, and Talon's Subject 7. Talon and I were taken to room 48. You two were taken to 47."

"So technically, we're all next to each other!" I say. "How stupid are they? Let's go!" I try to punch open the drywall, but it's super-strong, and I only bruise myself.

"I think we'll have to get outside to get to their rooms," growls Fang. He kicks open the door. Luckily, the hallways are empty. I quickly move from wall to wall like James Bond, listening for footsteps.

"Max! Room 49 is right here!" Dylan whisper-yells. He carefully opens the door. I tip-toe my way over, and peek inside. Dylan and Fang lead me in. In the far corner, I see Iggy. He warily stands up and makes his way over.

"Hey guys." his voice is dry from lack of water. Fang and Dylan run to support him as he nearly bowls over.

"Iggy!" I cry. "Have you heard from anyone else?"

He smiles, a dusty smile. He seems pretty happy, even though we are really screwed. "Max, Max. I got something to tell you," he says.

"I can see."

Fang's POV

It was a race against Dylan to find Angel.

Mind you, Nudge and Gazzy weren't hard. They were right next door after all.

Max had insisted on leaving, but we made her stay to look after all the rest of the flock after we found some first-aid kits with water and some nutrition bars. She succumbed to pressure because of how Gazzy was hanging onto her leg like he was afraid to lose her ever again. Nudge needed a hug. And Iggy was so weak, he could barely lift a water bottle to his lips.

_Wait, Talon! _ I think. I can't just leave her here...

"Dylan? Meet me at Room 50 once you're at Angel's room." He nods, almost looking triumphant that he gets to look like Superman to Max.

We'll see about that.

I gently open the door to Room 48. "Talon? Talon?" I call.

"Fang! I thought you were gone already with your flock!" she says excitedly.

"Well, I thought the flock could use your abilities," I say. "As much as Max is leader, I just thought it would be a good idea..."

"I know where to find Angel!" she cries. "Angel is in Room 902. Usually it would take _ages _to get to that room, but there is a secret elevator you can take to it..."

"I knew I could trust you!" I smile. "Let's get to it."

Fang's POV

I gape at the amount of red lasers here and there. A card swiper is placed against a wall.

"Just one touch can trigger an alarm if you don't swipe an access card," Talon explains. "After this, they have a _lot _of security cameras. Finally, they have a large network of floor tiles. Touch the wrong one and you are blown to bits."

"That is the best security system I've ever heard," I mumble. She laughs.

"Better not to stand around then," she says.

I carefully make my way to the lasers. Edge this way, move that way. I somersault into the air a few times and land on the other side... I also have a pair of moving lasers that I barely bypass. Halfway there! I do a handstand, cartwheel, and a backflip. I land as quietly as a cat on the other side. Talon simply lands on her butt.

"Ow," she mutters.

Now I drop my jaw in awe (no rhyme intended) at the cameras. Luckily, they shine a light wherever they look, so I know how to move. I do a somersault, landing right in front of a beam. Hopefully, I haven't screwed this up... Oh god... nooooooo... yes! Yes! I made it! Talon looks just about as happy.

"Now, how do we know which tiles are deadly and which are not?" I ask.

"Check the tiles for the patterns inside them. If the pattern's center piece is a triangle, it is deadly. If it's center piece is a square, it's good to go. The last tile at the very last part will be a circular piece. Look out for it at the end," she finishes.

"How do you know this stuff?" I ask suspiciously.

"I can listen really well sometimes, and I heard an old scientist talking to his new student," she explains. I'm still suspicious about this proof, but move on.

Even though Talon made it sound easy, it really wasn't. You had to take a close look to find the triangles and squares. I nearly stepped on a triangle if it hadn't been Talon's cry of, "Fang! It's a triangle!" Anyways, we got to the circular one and right in front of us was a shiny, silver elevator.

I press the Up button, and the elevator comes down quickly. We get in. Unfortunately, it's a really small elevator, and Talon has to squish in right beside me. I press the "9" button and the doors close. Elevator music plays. Talon is leaning into me, and I can smell her hair. She smells like strawberries. She smiles, a blinding flash of beauty. (More Fax fans going, "NOOOOOOOOO!")

The doors quietly open, and we get out. Her hand brushes against mine when we exit, and electricity zaps my fingertips. (Now all Fax fans are weeping)

I hear voices inside 902. I try and open the door, but it's locked from the inside. Talon tries to bash through the wall or door, but only gets bruises. Only one thing to do.

I close my eyes and start to daydream.

ATTENTION! THAT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE A CLIFFY. TO THOSE WHO THINK CLIFFIES SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN EVERY CHAPTER, I AM SORRY, I AM NOT YOUR AUTHOR.

Pleeze review!


	9. Chapter 9: Together Again Forever

**Chapter 9**

Fang's POV

And I'm there.

I'm getting good at this dream - traveling...

But I wish I'd never come in here...

To see Angel like_ this_.

She was strapped to some table, a metallic helmet over her head, IVs injecting different coloured liquids. Her wings were unfolded, a snow white, and scientists had plucked a few to study them. A few were typing furiously on a computer that showed her heart beat, brain activity, and chemical body fluids. I do not want to know what those mean.

Worst of all, these whitecoats were just about to cut her wings off.

Max's POV

I had wanted to rescue Angel myself. _The prophecy had told you that Fang had to do that, _growled the Voice.

Besides, Nudge, Gazzy, and Iggy all needed me.

"Max, Max, Max," says Gazzy, just over and over. "Max, Max, Max." His sobs are just short of screaming.

Nudge is silent. No words roll out of her mouth. Her eyes are pained, weary, hair frizzled out and limp.

Iggy is asleep, curled into a ball, protecting himself from the world that he doesn't even want to see anymore.

I close my eyes, and awaken Iggy for another meal.

As I open the package with trembling hands, I give them the nutrition bars I'd found inside. I conserve the water mostly for Iggy, he'd been deprived of it for so long...

I then start bandaging the wounds. Not only on the outside, but on the inside too.

"Angel is being saved by Fang and Dylan," I mutter. Something glistens in everyone's eyes for a split second, but it is dulled again. I take out a few Band-Aids for the simple injuries and needle pricks. Nothing really serious.

"They'll be here soon. Then we'll leave." My voice sounds like it belongs to someone else, so empty, so hopeless, so weary. I pack up the kit again, but take out a blanket which I give to Iggy. There's only one, so the rest of us just wait out the cold.

Waiting. Waiting.

For the end.

Fang's POV

It's a good thing Talon's at my side.

I barely know a thing about how to unhook Angel off these things.

We've only got five minutes.

It's a race against time.

After we knocked out all the whitecoats, just in the nick of time, we realized that one had triggered an alarm that would blow up this entire building.

In five minutes.

"Talon! You unhook the stuff while I warn the others!" I yell. She nods, busily clicking on the computer and taking out tubes and god know what else.

I run out the door, and I realize the podium as broken out.

"ATTENTION! BLOW COUNTER AT 5 MINUTES! ALL EVACUATE. SEARCH CREWS WILL BE SENT TO SEARCH FOR POTENTIAL THREAT."

Hopefully, Max heard that as well.

I break into a sprint, and once I reach the bottom of the secret elevator, I realize that all the booby traps, security cameras, and lasers are gone. No point to keep them on when the alarms already blaring, I guess.

I run faster, faster until everything is just a blur.

"Fang? Fang!" I hear.

"Dylan?" I ask. "Can you please tell Max that we have to get out of here in FIVE MINUTES?" He nods.

"Fang! Turn left and there's a fire exit. Wait for us there!"

I nod my thanks, and watch him run off in the general direction of our room. As soon as he leaves, I realize I probably should have gone. I guess he gets to play hero again. Oops.

Max's POV

Dylan bursts into the room.

"I know, we're packed up, let's get out of here," I say. _It's not like you didn't hear the podium as well, _grumbles the Voice. For once, I don't complain. He looks relieved.

"Max, there's a fire exit I found, and Fang is there waiting for us. Let's go!"

I run, motioning the flock to follow. Gazzy and Nudge don't hesitate, but Iggy doesn't budge.

"Ig! Come on! We gotta get moving!"

"I'm not leaving without Ella!" he snarls. "Or at least Angel!" _Convince him, or you're all going to die! _hisses the Voice.

"We'll come back, I promise," I say convincingly. "Ig, I really hate to break this to you, and I know how much Ella means to you and all, but we are in a freakin' building that's gonna explode in about three minutes."

Iggy looks down, fury darkening his eyes. But I see some understanding too, and he nods.

"Let's run!" I call. We smash open the door together and I can imagine little flames tracing our footsteps, like in cartoons.

We turn left at the suspected hallway.

Only to run in to a bunch of foxy freaks. Unfortunately, it looked like they got to Fang first.

_Max! No time. Just run! _screams the Voice. _NO! _I snarl. While the rest of the flock run off without a moment's notice, I smash my leg into the foxy's chest, and he drops Fang.

"Fang! Run!" I yell. But my cry is cut short by a bullet that shatter through my wing bone. I scream in agony, but Fang takes my arm and we run.

"Where's the flock?" he yells. He looks at my wing, and I can tell that it's probably bleeding badly by now.

"Don't know! I had to save you!" I yell back. We run down the stairs, the metallic clink of metal echoing on every step.

"Max! We're at the end! Just break the door open with me!"

"One, two, THREE!"

***BAM***

The door bursts open and we're free.

Only to be standing on a sharp 1000 foot cliff.

**Fang's POV**

With that cliff, the only way to get out of here fast is to fly.

But Max can't because her wing's injured.

Because she was trying to save me.

There's no way we're going anywhere.

"Fang! Go!" I can hear the hurt in her voice. She knows she's going to die, or at least be injured for life.

"No! You got hurt because of me!" I argue. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You have to take care of the flock for me!" she yells.

"I can't!" I yell. My voice drops lower. "I can't. That would remind me of you everyday." Her eyes glisten with something. Tears?

"My life without you would be pointless." my voice drops to almost a whisper.

"Fang..."

"Max. If I want to die, I want my last breath spent saying that I love you."

"I... I love you too, Fang."

"Forever?" Something flashes through her eyes. Like a memory.

"Forever. And this time I mean it." I smile. She slips into my arms. I spread my wings and shelter her. She curls up into a ball and I wrap my arms around her. We're trying to be small, very very small, so that almost nothing will hit us if this place explodes.

"You're so warm..." I mumble into her hair. She snuggles closer. I pull her in tighter.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

"If we die, at least I'll die happy."

And the place explodes.

And we don't die.

But I won't tell you the rest of that night.

That night belongs to just Max and I.

**I know this is a short chapter, but Fax fans, you got what you wanted. **

**NOT A CLIFFY.**

**I'm sorry I took so long to get out such a short chapter. **


	10. Chapter 10: Sunsets and Stars

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, only an stuffed Energizer bunny :-)**

**Special Thanks: Special thanks to PurpleTea88 for being the best reviewer EVA!**

**Reviewer of the Week Award: PurpleTea88**

**Max: (growl) Translation: Hey!**

**Me: Hey! Oh, and I forgot to mention, this is NOT Maximum Ride. This is my polar bear Max. She's in for the interview.**

**Polar Bear Max: (growl, growl, roar, growl, scratch, sniff) Translation: LMWOE, (Love My Writing Or Else), need more Fax scenes.**

**Me: Oh, please. I'm bad at writing them, but I studied (OMG! I STUDIED!) some other people's writing, and I think I got it. If I don't, let me, know, and then I'll change the rating from T to K or something.**

**Max: Huh? What you talking about?**

**Me: Oh, yeah, I managed to borrow Max for a while. The human Max, I mean.**

**Max: You mean Avian-American.**

**Me: Whatever. Anyways, I haven't updated or made Fax because - **

**Max: Fax? **

**Me: Yeah, umm... your romance with Fang and stuff...**

**Max: You mean you COMBINED OUR NAMES? *angry face***

**Me: Ummm... I haven't done a lot of explaining. (In head: ROFL!)**

**Polar Bear Max: (roar, roar, scratch, scratch, sniff, sniff, sniff) Translation: On with the show! (OMG I love that phrase!)**

**Me: Wait! I just want to say I haven't been updating because my mom got kinda mad because I wasn't doing my schoolwork when I was supposed to and just writing this. So :'(**

Max's POV

I groggily open my eyes, half expecting some Gen 77 monster standing there. Luckily, there isn't.

Images of last night fly through my head.

Fang.

He loves me.

I love him back.

It's perfect. **(Maximum Ride nerds, check what "He loves me. I love him back. It's perfect." is a reference to. If you answer which book it is in I will give kudos to that person! However, these sentences are in a different variation so beware!)**

I flip around to my warm side, where Fang had been absently stroking my hair.

"Did you know your hair glows in sunlight?" he murmurs. He sounds like a lovesick loony bird. Although I probably would sound the same.

"Fang, where are we?" I ask him. My throat is dry, and my voice sounds cracked. It nearly comes out as a whisper. _You need to get some fluids into your body._

"I don't know. What I do know is that we're alive, and miles away from anywhere, probably." Panic rises in me, flashing through my body like adrenaline. _Stay calm, Max. Breathe a little easier._

"Where is the rest of the flock? Or Angel? Or Ella?" I demand. I try and sound prying and angry, but it comes out as pitiful and weak.

"You mean Talon," he corrects, "And last time I saw her, she was trying to save Angel."

I sit up, but my head spins in circles. Lights flash before my eyes, and I just manage to keep down whatever I have in my stomach and I have to lie down again. Fang looks at me worriedly. _It makes him look sexy, _I think.

"What's wrong?"

I wince. "Somthe inah mah haed," I slur. I haven't felt as bad as this since I was sick and Dylan took care of me. _Radiation sickness, even slight cases like yours, often has its side effects, _scolds the Voice.

That brings another thought into my head. How was I ever supposed to tell Dylan about this stuff?

Technically, I guess we had been sort of... together. That awkward place between friends and more-than-friends. I didn't want to hurt him, obviously.

Fang interrupts my thoughts by pulling me up to my feet. I feel a rush and my knees grow weak. I almost hit the crusted, dry ground, but Fang hoists me onto his back.

"Fang... I can walk," I mumble, but it comes out as _"Fagn, Icabwke"_. Nonetheless, I pull my arms around his neck, breathing in the familiar muskiness of his scent. I've known Fang all my life.

_*Start of Flashback_

_Fang and I are in the same cage, for some unknown reason. _

_I'd just been experimented on on something so powerful, they didn't want to use it on humans, or their "precious" Erasers. It was called "Elementizer-something-or-other." __**(Foreshadowing!)**_

_He holds my hand while I cry into his tattered shirt. I'd been up all night, my bloodshot eyes proving the fact. He shushes me, and lets me lean on his shoulder. He pulls an arm around me, and says something I've remembered all my life._

_"Max, I love you," he says. _

_"What does that mean?" I ask._

_"It means I like you a lot," he explains. "Iggy told me."_

_"Well, I guess that means I love you too," I say._

_*End of Flashback_

Had we really been that innocent to not know what love meant?

Iggy's POV (OMG! I am doing a POV that is not Fang or Max! :D)

I hang my head in my hands. Nudge is sobbing in the corner, and Gazzy's muttering something obscene.

"Did _anyone_ see Fang or Max since the explosion?" demands Dylan. He's probably pissed that Max and Fang might be dead, but mostly because it just so happened that it was _Fang and Max_ that just had to go missing.

"Dylan, it's no use. We just flew here from Phoenix, and now we're in what, Denver?" I ask. "How will they ever know where we are? I know that Max hurt her wing, so she can't fly for a while, two days at the very least in her healing power."

"I can't believe that Max is dead!" Dylan shouts. Everyone's surprised. Usually, he's so calm and collected. We'd never seen this side of him before. "Who knows what Fang might have done to her?"

"Fang can be trusted!" Nudge insists. "He was her best friend for life."

"Angel's gone, and so is Ella," Gazzy yells. "and now everyone is just like, "OMG! Fang and Max are gone!" My sis and Iggy's girlfriend counts for something too!" I'm startled at the word, "girlfriend". I never thought of Ella like that before.

"Ella is no more," Dylan sneers. "She's some mutant know called Talon. Something made her forget every little thing she once knew." My heart literally stops for two seconds.

"Fang and Max would know what to do!" Nudge screams. "That is why we have to find them _first_!"

That starts an all-out screaming war. First, it seemed like just between who's saving who. But it got rowdy in the later parts, lots of cussing and screaming at the top of our lungs, sometimes about completely irrelevant things.

"You're the reason for all this!" Dylan snarls, having no more words to injure people with. Fury overwhelms me so much I don't care what I say anymore.

"Shut up!" I hiss.

"Get a life!" Gazzy screams. "Iggy's done nothing wrong!"

"Love life!" Nudge yells. We all look at her incredulously. "I heard it on TV," she explains. Silence goes on for about three seconds. Something in that makes the tension break, and we all burst out laughing. Dylan is literally rolling on the floor, and I am clutching my sides, I'm laughing so hard. We don't even know what's so funny. It's like bitter laughter. The kind of laughter that makes you feel like everything is hopeless.

Talon's POV (these are actually fun!)

I squint at the sunlight in my eyes.

_*Start of Flashback_

_I frantically pull out the sickly coloured tubes and wires out of the poor little girl. What have they done? I type in some ridiculous key words and passwords into the computer to shut down the system._

_"ATTENTION! BLOW COUNTER AT 5 MINUTES! ALL EVACUATE. SEARCH CREWS WILL BE SENT TO SEARCH FOR POTENTIAL THREAT." the podium announces._

_I stand there, mollified. What do I do now? I eye the gurney that the girl's lying on. One hard kick at the flimsy brakes and the wheels are ready to go! I push the gurney, no longer attached to the boundless machines, down the hallway to the secondary fire exit. _

_"Hey! You! Stop right there, Subject!" A snarling foxy woman tries to wrench the gurney from my hands. Panicking, I spread my wings, muffling her actions. With a quick kick, she goes down and hits her head on a metal crate. In case there are more foxes, I cart away, making sure that the girl is firmly strapped in when we're running down the iron stairs. The loud clanging of metal against metal awakens her._

_"Wha...?" she mutters._

_"I'm saving you!" I yell. I run down the final spiraling grid staircase and we burst through the steel door._

_"Can you fly?" I ask her. She doesn't answer. Instead, she snaps the straps straight in half. I am shocked. Those straps would have held back the most powerful of all Gen 77s._

_"Can I fly? The question is, can _you _fly?" she laughs. She spreads out her glistening pearly white wings. With a flourish, she whisks herself into the air. I launch myself as well, beating hard to catch up with her._

_*End of Flashback_

It's been a few minutes now, and I don't know where the heck we're going. "What's your name?" I yell over the screaming wind. She looks at me questioningly.

"Don't tell me that you forgot my name in just two weeks, Ella," she snorts.

"I lost my memory as Ella!" I reply. She doesn't look at all fazed, just the slightest bit annoyed.

"Fine then, my name is Angel. Where are the flock? Sorry, do you know who Fang or Max is?" she hastily catches her words.

"Fang? Oh yeah, the scientists told me i was supposed to be paired off with him," I say, making my tone level and bored-sounding. "He loves some other bird girl called Max, though, who was supposed to be paired off with Dylan."

Angel seems pretty surprised to hear that.

"Where are we going?" I yell.

She looks back at me with sparkling blue eyes.

"We're going to unite the flock!"

Max's POV

_Was last night a dream when we slept together? _I wonder. It had been so _different_, so... un-Fangy.

After my incident with the radioactivity, I still felt sick, but Fang had to leave me to see how far away the nearest town was, and managed to steal some water and food. He flew there in just about two hours each time... to Phoenix, I think. _Since you walk about a quarter of the speed he flies, It'll take you a painful eight hours to get to there, _says the Voice snobbishly.

I still feel gratitude that he hasn't ditched me yet. Most people would have. _Dylan wouldn't have, _growls the Voice. _What, you still squatting on his side? _I snarl.

We've been walking for four hours now. Halfway there. Now the sun was beginning to set, and we were watching it fall under the arid sky (yah, SO cliche, buts seriously, admit it, it is so CUTE).

"Fang, when was the time when you realized you first loved me?" The words slip out before I can catch them. Great, now I'm acting loony as well. _Concentrate, _the Voice chides.

"At the School, when I came back from my first heat testing experiment. When I passed out, you gave me nearly all your water and food for four days so that I could stay alive," he says absently. "What about you?"

"I didn't know I loved you," I admit. "But I think it was when you broke your arm to save me from a machine experiment." He smiles, and I can't help but gaze at his lopsided grin that I've know for so long.

We settle down in the dusty ground and just look at the sunset until the red and the pinks fade away and the night comes upon us. Luckily, Fang had snatched a few blankets as well. Unfortunately, it didn't help the fact that it was way freezing. My teeth chatter uncontrollably. I grin on the inside when I get an idea.

"It's so _cold_," I murmur, and slide in closer. Fang pulls and arm around me and smiles. I sigh as the warmth of his body keeps myself from freezing over. He pulls me in even closer, and eventually I kind of just end up sitting on his lap.

"Look at the stars," he whispers. He points at the so many stars that shine over our heads. The moon sways silver moonlight over the ground.

"Each one of those stars is a reason I love you," he says. I smile and snuggle in so that our noses are almost touching. He leans forward, and starts kissing me.

At first, it's just as usual, tender, loving, sweet. I pull my hands out from under the blanket and they get entangled in his night-black hair. We fall to the ground, lips still locked. When we finally break off, after kissing a long, long time, my heart beats faster than ever before.

He smiles and something in his golden-flecked onyx eyes sparkles. My heart thuds so loud, I think he can hear it. I curl up beside him and he does so as well.

"I love you, Max," he whispers in my ear. Just the sound of his voice makes me tremble.

"I love you too, Fang..."

**Me: An actual Fax scene! *GASP***

**Polar Bear Max: (growl, growl, scratch sniff, sniff, snarl, grunt) See? That wasn't too bad.**

**American-Avian Max: Well, at least I know what's going on here.**

**American-Avian Fang: Hello? **

**American-Avian Max: Fang? Are you staying here too?**

**Me: Umm... yeah. The authors that are housing you right now are going to Miami, am I right, Max? And yours are going to somewhere like... Los Angeles, I believe, Fang? So I volunteered to have you for a while.**

**American-Avian Max: (Grr...)**

**Me: Cheer up. Number one, you got lots of fans! And number two, Fang is here!**

**American-Avian Max: *Looks at Fang, then me, with a look of "some privacy please."***

**American-Avian Fang: *Nods head to door***

**Me: (huff) alright. See ya next time, all of ya! **


	11. Chapter 11: Reunited and A Mystery Human

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, only my laptop which was confiscated for three days :(**

**Special Thanks: BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide, thanks for reviewing! Love your profile! :)**

**Reviewer of the Week: ** **PurpleTea88! **

**Another reviewer: BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide**

**Thanks to both of you!**

**Me: Fang? Max?**

**The Avian-Americans: (talking sounds, then a few muffled sounds)**

**Me: *shudder* I do not want to know what they are doing in there.**

**Polar Bear Max: (growl, growl, snuffle, scratch, scratch, snuffle, snarl, growl) Leave them alone. Better get to writing instead of spying.**

**Me: *defensive hand postition* Hey, hey! Who's team are ya on? Oh fudge that, let's get on WITH THE SHOW!**

**Fang's POV**

When Max smiles like that, it makes my heart go on hyper drive. It's like the whole world lights up.

I've only seen her smile like that twice.

And those were both for me. The second being now, and the first being the day when I nearly died, she saved me, broke down, and then smiled.

When Max laughs, it's a melody to my ears.

I've only heard her laugh twice.

Both because of me.

That time when she kicked me where it counts, as I was pretending to sleep. And the second was when we laughed about how we knew how Max II was a fake - she offered to cook breakfast.

I love her with all my heart.

I hope she loves me back.

**Max's POV**

When Fang smiles, he has that lopsided grin that he always reserves for me, never for anyone else. And his smiles always make me feel like things will be okay.

When Fang laughs, there's a certain bitterness to the laugh, as if he knows that the laughter is going to end and he doesn't want it to. That's why I laugh extra for him, and only for him. Even if his laughs are bitter, they make it sound as if every moment with him laughing is so special.

I love the smell of him. He has a certain muskiness, secretiveness, quirkiness. When I breathe him in, he smells like a dark, layered forest. But somewhere under the layers, I see a hidden beauty.

He tastes like cinnamon, maybe peaches. Or both. When I kiss him, he kisses back just enough to not be pressuring me and not to be bored about me. He cares. Not only for me, but for the entire flock.

I love him with all my heart.

I hope he loves me back.

**Talon's POV**

I savour the feel of the wind ruffling my feathers and the fresh, dry air that sweeps through my lungs. I've never felt so free in my life. I'm actually glad that the Academy blew up. But I know that will make only a subtle difference. You've got to kill a weed at its roots, and this particularly stubborn weed had its roots at the Gen 77 fortress. I've only heard a little about it, but eventually I was trusted to hear just the slightest bit more. I catch a look at the little girl who introduced herself as Angel. She seems alright, but then again... I'd been taught to never let off my guard.

"Where are Max and Fang? And who's the rest of the flock? How do you know where they are?" I pry at her to get some information. I want to know if I can trust her. She smiles, thinking carefully.

"They're not so far away now, moving farther away from us, to Phoenix. The reason I know is because I can read minds and stuff, so I can find people a long, long way from where I am. And the rest of the flock is Gazzy, Iggy, Dylan, and Nudge." She looks at me questioningly. "Did you forget about them too?"

I sigh. "Yeah." She shakes her head in sympathy. "You'll learn again soon enough. Nudge will fill you in on _everything_, believe me."

"How do _you_ know you can trust me?" I blurt out. She smiles. "I've read your mind, and you don't have any nasty plans or anything, so I know that I can trust you not to kill me." I snort, jealous. Pretty useful ability you got there.

_You've got a useful ability too, _I scold myself. Great. Now I'm talking to myself like maniac. I unsheathe my talons that I keep sharpened, polished, and unscathed, and slice through the air in satisfaction.

"I like how your name matches your talent," says Angel. "I like your ability. And I know that it might not seem like much, but I know... all the flock, including you, will develop new powers to overcome the Gen 77s."

God, now I'm being lectured by a seven-year old. Maybe I am just that immature. I snort, flicking my hair back so that it doesn't cloud my vision.

"Hey! We're really close now... I think I can see them!" she squeals. I wince. "Not right in my ear, please." She laughs, then starts a dive to two figures down below.

But she freezes.

"What's wrong?" I yell.

"Pencils are coming!"

**Max's POV**

I sit there, refusing to move another step.

"I can't Fang," I snarl. "I can't. I can't bear to keep on walking like this."

"We're nearly there," he pleads. I bite my lip, annoyed with his inability to side with me, not with my safety.

"Fang, then ditch me or something," I snap. "I am not moving out of this spot until my legs decide to carry me around again, which is probably never." To my surprise, he doesn't yell or get angry at me. Instead, he laughs like crazy. I've got no idea what he is laughing about, but that makes me frustrated.

"Fang!" I yell. "Stop laughing!" That only makes him laugh harder, but then I punch him, and he seems to die down a bit. I pointedly turn my back at him, but he wraps his arms around me. How can I resist? He pecks my cheek, then stands up. Surprisingly, he grabs my legs and back, and starts carrying me bridal style.

"Wha... Fang?" I ask, confused. He grins, and keeps on walking. Oh, of course Mister Tall, Dark, and Silent. He carries me for a while, and I get a nice view of the dust and sand, and some rocks... But I'm distracted my the delicious smell wafting from Fang... I can breathe it in all day. Fang then puts me down, to my disappointment, and sprawls down onto the dusty ground.

"Your knight in shining armor is exhausted," he complains. It's probably the most I've gotten out of him since last night.

"Yeah, well sometimes your knight in shining armor is just a retard in a tin can," I growl. "And sometimes you are not a damsel in distress, you are a 21st century bird mutant."

He smirks, smiling that lopsided grin that I love so much. He sits up, and takes a water bottle out of his rucksack. We take turns from it, just taking sips here and then. We don't bother to waterfall. Why not share spit when we've already kissed each other? Fang is about to take out some leftover food from yesterday, when we both feel a strange kind of aura emanating from the west. The wind changes the slightest bit. A cackle is heard somewhere.

We glance at each other, and we go back-to-back in case of danger.

And boy, are we ever so right.

**Fang's POV**

I scan the battlefield for Max. Luckily, she hasn't strayed far from where we dealt with the first bout of Pencils.

It was like they had materialized out of nowhere.

Fortunately, it was only a small squad of five or so Pencils. Then a second squad came, and this time we smashed their ability to send a distress call.

Suddenly, two strong hands clamp over my face, I can still breathe, but not really well. I lash out with my foot, kicking him in the crotch. Even so, he stays level, and a second Pencil comes up and brings my feet together. I feel dizzy from lack of oxygen, but I have enough strength to punch one of the guys who-knows-where.

"Fang!" I hear Max's voice, and I just make out a thump as the guy holding my nose and mouth falls to the ground.

"Thanks," I grunt. She helps me up, dusting me off.

"What were those? Too sophisticated to be Erasers..." she trails off.

"I was put in an arena with those things," I explain. "I named them Pencils..." She snorts. "Dry humour you got there, Fang."

She tries to walk a little bit, but she collapses onto the ground. I hurry over to her. Is it just something to do with the heat, or...? Maybe the radiation was much more damaging than I thought. The air catches in my throat.

Enough to kill her.

"Hey, Fang!"

**Talon's POV**

"Hey, Fang!" I call. He looks blankly over to me, holding Max, limp in his arms.

"Guys... Angel, sweetie, it's nice to see you, and you too, Talon... glad you made it out," he mumbles. He sounds delirious!

"Fang, we're taking Max to the nearest hospital in Phoenix," orders Angel. He nods without question.

"With three of us flying, we'll be able to carry Max there," he says. He sounds the slightest bit brighter now, but still has that exhausted, hopeless tone.

I take Max's legs, Angel takes her middle, and Fang takes her arms and head. She's actually quite light, but not light enough for one bird kid alone.

"One...Two...Three!" Fang yells. We run at the exact same time, and fling ourselves into the air. I think we kind of defied the laws of physics because of how we took off. It's liked synchronized swimming, except it isn't swimming, it's flying.

"Where to?" I yell.

"Phoenix, the Maricopa Medical Center!"

**Max's POV**

I moan, swatting at whatever's prodding at my arm.

"Oh no, you don't," scolds a familiar voice. I squint, only seeing blurry blobs. Fang?

"Fang, where am I?" I try and ask, but it comes out, "Fagn, whar im I?"

"Sh..." he says gently. "Talon and Angel appeared and helped me get you here, to Phoenix."

"Wings," was all I could mumble.

"They don't know, we only talked about your radiation sickness," explains Fang. Good, that rests my mind a bit.

"Angel back?"

"Yes, now go to sleep, Max."

"Fang... I'm scared," I finally confess. He has a surprised look on his face.

"Why?"

"What if I go to sleep and never wake up?"

**Dylan's POV**

I breathe hard, flapping my wings powerfully to soar through the air. Here, in Denver, we're farther away from New York that I'd like to be, but I have the same super speed as Max, and can get to Canada in just under four minutes.

There! I've spotted the place, and check my watch. Just in time. It might be late at night, but that's because I don't want the flock to know. I just had to see her.

I land softly onto the black roof of a house, with a rainbow and shooting star painted on it. It glows at night, signals to me.

I lean back into the wall of the deserted alley, bricks rough on my outstretched wings.

"Looking for me?"

**Mystery Person's POV**

Even after seeing him all this time, he still dazzled me with how he looked, how he talked, how he laughed or smiled. Now he was grinning, a smile spreading across his face honey-slow.

"Hey, baby." I smile at the words.

"Hey, Dyley." I know he hates that nickname. He smirks, and stretches his arms. I walk slowly into his body, and he whispers into my ear.

"I've missed you." I shiver. His words send electricity down my spine.

"I've missed you, too."

He pulls me in for a kiss, and we lock lips for a long while, sweet and loving. His tongue swirls in my mouth, marking me as his. I tangle my hand into his beautiful, glimmering blonde hair to get a better angle. We kiss passionately, furiously. He smells fresh, and spicy, and he tastes like blueberries.

He pushes me against a wall, and rests his hand on my waist. I buck my hips against him, and this makes him go crazy. His hands drop lower down to my butt, and one finger traces my curves.

We make out under the harsh artificial lights of the alley, and... things go downhill from there.

**I can tell that all readers are going, "OMG! Who is the mystery person?" Well, I'd like to keep her in suspense. Guess if you want to, it will be futile. You'll never know who I made the mystery person! And this is not an OC! So guess away!**

**American-Avian Max: I hope she'll break his heart, that bastard.**

**Me: Nah, you get to. :-)**

**American-Avian Fang: Awww! I thought I would get the chance!**

**Polar Bear Max: (growl, snarl, snarl, sniff, scratch, scratch, howl, roar) Dylan is SO gonna die! LMWOE hates him like crazy! **

**American-Avian Fang: Um... excuse us, LMWOE. *takes Max's hand and leaves***

**American-Avian Max: *blush***

**Polar Bear Max: (roar, roar, howl, howl, scratch, growl, pounce, screech) LMWOE will not update until she gets 10+ reviews! SO REVIEW!**

**Polar Bear Fang: (roar, howl, scratch, pounce, screech, howl, roar, roar) Hey! Fang in the **_**his house**_**! Love me for being a black-furred polar bear!**

**Me: That's because you spray paint it!**

**Polar Bear Fang: *ignores* (howl! Scratch, roar! Pounce x 8) I am her favourite polar bear!**

**Polar Bear Max: (howl! x 2, scratch x 5, roar! x 4, pounce x 8) You are not! I am! Besides, she rides me to school three days a week. You only get two! :P**

**Polar Bear Fang: (sniffle, sniffle, sniffle) LMWOE! Max is being mean to me!**

**Me: Anyways, review PLEASE!**


	12. Chapter 12: Dedicated to My Editor, CISV

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE! I will now proceed in my plan to strap James Patterson to a chair and warn him that I will feed him only bird feed for a straight eighteen days, and if he does not write **

**the last book in eighteen days, I will force him to live in my basement! It's smelly down there.**

**Oh, you guys are SO jealous. CISV is my best friend - she keeps on revealing stuff about later chapters! Stop doing that, CISV! She reads every chapter first. Ha ha.**

**Reviewer/PMer of the Week: candycanelover ~ I love Candy Canes 2~!**

**Other Reviewers/ Special Thankss (catch this, BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide) to: **

**CISV!~**

**PurpleTea88, **

**Kelsie Rose, **

**and BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide!**

**Me: :') * Tears of gratitude *** **I got 10+ reviews!**

**Avian-American Max: Um... she's tearing up?**

**Me: People also sent me five or so PMs. Also, my computer spazzed out and didn't let me upload this! So forgive! And I update! Hm. Right, my mom freaked out about my spazzy computer. So forgive! And I update! Plus, this came out something like three days late because of my spazzy computer! So forgive! And I update~!**

**Avian-American Fang: See the last chapter?**

**Avian-American Max: Um... no...**

**Avian-American Fang: * smirks at me * You're in for it.**

**Polar Bear Max: (sniff, snarl, smile, grin, sniffle) LMWOE! Here's your **_**favourite **_**orange juice!**

**Polar Bear Fang: (howl, howl, snarl, grin, smile, roar, pounce) Silly Max! * pushes Max * Here's your favourite **_**apple **_**juice!**

**Me: Thanks guys, but I like lemonade... **

**Avian-American Max: LMWOE! You did not write about me and Fang making out! * angry face * **

**Avian-American Fang: * grins * Close to the truth.**

**Avian-American Max: * blush ***

**Polar Bear Max: (sniff, growl, roar, snarl, grunt grunt, growl) Here's your Snuggie!**

**Polar Bear Fang: (snarl, snarl, sniff, paw, punce, claw, grin) I'll teach you how to dougie!**

**Me: Awww! Thanks guys! That helps me remember something. * Takes out two boxes * Here you go! Two birthday presents!**

**Polar Bear Fang: * Rips open * (roar! roar, snarl, pounce, howl, grin, growl, grin) Wow! Thanks! I was running out of black spray-paint!**

**Polar Bear Max: * Rips open * (roar! roar, snarl, pounce, grin, claw, pounce, howl) Wow! Thanks! I'll download this iTunes gift card right away!**

**Me: Everyone, sing Happy Birthday!**

**Polar Bears: Happy Birthday to us... Happy Birthday to us... Happy Birthday to us polar bears... Happy Birthday to us!**

**Avian-Americans: * Fang only nods * * Max mumbles lyrics* **

**Avian-American Fang: Max? We only have two weeks until we return to some other author's houses...**

**Avian-American Max: NOOOOO! I WANT TO STAY WITH LMWOE! SHE HAS TWO POLAR BEARS, AND AN IGLOO, AND AN AWESOME SNOW-CAT! AND SHE HAS BEAVERS IN THE BACKYARD! AND -**

**Avian-American Fang: * surrendering hands * Whoah! Calm down! Let's say for a while then... * wink ***

**Polar Bear Max: (roar, roar, scratch, scratch, sniff, sniff, sniff) On with the show!**

**Fang's POV**

I walk in a large circle, sometimes just pacing like those worried cartoon characters.

"Nicholas, is it? Your friend Maxine is ready for a visitor."

I hurry to her. I haven't seen her since last night, before they had given her a special kind of medicine and an operation for a huge slash down her back. She was so scared that she clung to me for about an hour before she fell asleep. She's so... traumatized. During the battle, she was weakened by the radiation, nearly got killed by the Pencils and nearly saw me get killed as well.

"Fang?" she asks when I come into the room. I'm almost blinded by the excessive use of white.

"Hey, baby," I peck her on the lips. "How are you feeling?"

She smiles. "Just fine, Fang." She looks much more relaxed than last night.

"Do you have any news from the rest of the flock?" I sigh. Good. A topic that I actually have good news to.

"Angel contacted them a few hours ago, and they're coming very soon."

She smiles wider, and kisses me back. "We're back together again... all of us. Except for Total, but he's on honeymoon with Akila..."

She then turns serious. "But they still got Mom."

"We'll be okay. Nobody can stop us, especially if we stick together," I reassure her. She sighs.

"Fang... promise me we really will stick together..."

I take her hand. "Max, I am so sorry I ever left you..."

She takes her finger and presses it to my lips. "Sh..."

I smile, and she presses herself against me as best as she can. I close my eyes, drawing little circles on her thigh.

**Max's POV**

I felt dizzy from the meds they gave me, but mostly from how Fang is rubbing my thigh right now. It takes all my self-control to not scream. _Focus~! _scolds the Voice.

He blows lightly onto my neck, causing me to bite my lip to stop myself from moaning. He smiles at my reaction, then starts to kiss me. Our lips almost just brush when -

"Nicholas? Visiting hours are over, sorry. The doctor commanded that she be left alone."

Immediately, he pulls away from me, my lips still wanting to kiss his. _Ha ha... _

"Bye, Max," he laughs, leaving my heart pounding hyper speed and breathing hard. _Shut up, Voice!_

"Maxine.. dear? I think that you really should go to sleep and get some rest. The red button over there will call the doctor in case you need something. Good night, dear." _She's right. Sleep tight now. Sweet dreams, _snickers the Voice.

I try desperately to calm my breathing and rest my beating heart. "G'night," I mumble as best as I can.

Oh, he is so going to get it! I will get revenge!

**Talon's POV**

I turn to Iggy, who's sitting beside me. Out of all the flock members, he was least intrusive, and was pretty friendly.

"Hey, Iggy, what's being in the flock like?" I ask. Angel had suggested that I join the flock, and most flock members had agreed. Dylan scowled when he heard the news, and just walked away.

"Well, it's like having a family," he explains. "We all look out for each other, tease each other, get mad or sad at each other, all the normal family stuff."

"Except for the wings," I say wistfully. He sighs. "Yes, except for the wings."

"I think I'd like to have a family," I say. "I was joining you anyways... wait, since Max is leader and Fang is her... whatever, (Iggy grins) don't I need to consult them first? And Dylan didn't look too happy about me being here..."

"Dylan's in a cranky mood," Iggy reassures me. "As for Max, you used to be her half-sister. Of course she'll accept you." Inwardly, I sigh in relief.

"Iggy, can you be my question-answering person?" I ask. "Nudge is... y'know (another grin), and Gazzy and Angel seem busy with themselves anyways... Dylan doesn't seem too happy about me... and Max and Fang are obviously in a world with themselves (a small laugh)."

"Sure, I'll be happy to," he says. He looks right at me. His turquoise-blue eyes are sharp, focused. He's kind of pale, only lightly freckled. His strawberry-blond hair whips over to one side of his face.

"Um... Justin Bieber much?" I ask, pointing at his hair. He laughs.

"That's one of my abilities," he scoffs. "I attract ladies."

"Pervert," I mutter. "Obviously thrown on the ground when he was young."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, carrots are obviously grown underground when they're young." He snorts. "Very funny."

"Whatever," I laugh, and poke him in the arm. That turns into a poking war, which turns into a diss war, which turns into a tickle war. It's so easy to talk to him. It lets me relax and just get absorbed into our own world.

**Talon's POV**

"Guys? Guys?" Angel calls. "It's morning." I groan and roll over. What am I lying down on?

"Hey, Talon. Max got better, all of us has got really quick healing powers. We'd better go now."

I mumble something incoherent, and feel someone poke me in the stomach. I don't respond.

Someone tickles my feet. I pretend to still be sleeping.

I get kicked a bit. Okay, that hurts, but no way I am waking up to that. Tough sleeper, I am.

THEN A HUGE WET THING SLAPS INTO MY FACE!

"OH MY GOD! TALON, IT'S A LEECH-MUTANT!" someone hollers.

I scream like it's the apocalypse and yank whatever it is off, flinging it into an unknown direction. Stars flutter before my eyes, adjusting to the harsh light of the hospital.

What the heck?

Angel and Gazzy are laughing their heads off, Max and Fang trying hard not to chuckle, and Nudge is rolling on the floor, unable to control her giggling. I turn just in time to see a wet towel slide slowly off of Iggy's face.

Grinning.

"You bad, bad friend!" I shriek at him. He laughs and throws the towel back at me. I catch it, piercing it right through with my talons. I rip it off, and throw it with tremendous aim. I hits him in the head, and it stuns him for a while.

"Hey, a guy's gotta have some fun, right? Besides, my lap was hurting from carrying your heavy head (glare from me). Be glad it wasn't worse," chuckles Iggy. "We really need to go now, though, El - Talon."

"ElTalon?" I tease. Finally, something I can pitch back. He snorts. "Better than Fnick." I look at him questioningly, but he just smirks at Max, and she glares back. Some inside joke?

**Mystery Person's POV**

"Dylan," I whisper. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."

We're in the back alley of the hospital he was in. The flock's in there, so we have to be careful. I'd taken major precautions back at the Training Facility #9 just to see his face again.

"Why not?" he asks, hurt contorting his face. Has he sacrificed as much as I have to see each other? Tears surface on my face, but I force them down. I need to stay strong for Dylan's sake.

"Dylan... this'll just end up hurting both of us. Especially you..."

"The only thing that can hurt me is being away from you." I almost cry. Does he really love me that much? I know I do... every time I see him, I think I am less in love, but I really am falling harder for him each time.

"Dylan..."

He takes my hand, and our lips crash together, vibrating in its impact. It's not like the other kisses we've had, simply a loving, passionate battle of seduction. This one is full of anger and misery. It pulses and flickers in a fiery terror. Like an electric jolt is passing through our bodies. Like our pain is being passed from one to the other.

"I promise I'll never leave you, ever," he whispers deep into my ear. "I will love you forever."

"That's not long enough."

**Sorry if this is a short chapter. I will try and update and write longer chapters more often. Read my profile for an explanation. **

**Me: Ooh, I am SUCH a good Mystery Person x Dylan writer. So not a Fang x Max writer though.**

**Polar Bear Fang: (grin, howl, grin, snarl, snarl) He he. I know who the Mystery Person is. It's -**

**Polar Bear Max: (snarl, howl, snarl, roar, claw, growl) SHUT UP! They need to guess! Now they'll know who it is!**

**Avian-American Max: Besides this fact, can you please just make 'Polar Bear' into PB? And also, I think that you can change Avian-American to AA. Much easier, typing and all.**

**AA Fang: *grunt* Very efficient.**

**Me: Okay. Understand that everyone? Okay, that was a stupid question, I bet you would have said something like, "No, I clicked on this page just to stare at the freakin' floor."**

**AA Max: Fang, you're so silent lately. I know even four words is trouble for you, but two? Jeez, you need a vacation or something.**

**AA Fang: I have now said five words. * calculating in head ***

**AA Max: Wow. You get a gold medal for worst counter I have ever met.**

**PB Max: (grunt) Bye, for now. **

**PB Fang: (howl) Nah, I get last words! Ha!**

**REVIEWS PLEAZE! With an extra cherry on top! Once I get 12+ reviews, will update. One step at a time...**


	13. Chapter 13: Mom?

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Maximum Ride, and - Max, get off my lap! - so, - Fang! don't you dare try and use **_**that **_**as paint! - so I guess, - can you guys stop locking lips? - okay, but - ARGH! Mom, get OUT of my room! NOW!**

**Reviewer/PMer of the week: CISV, you're my best friend! And best reviewer!**

**Other Reviewers: **

**CISV!**

**Kelsie Rose**

**BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide,**

**and PurpleTea88! Love ya all! Not the creepy stalkerish kinda way. As in friend-way. Duh.**

**Me: See my profile to help bunny take over the world. If you are too lazy, you will be his lower slaves. If you help him spread his popularity, he will make you a common class citizen. And if you send the bunny to every person you see on the street and know, he will make you high-class citizen. If you are the maker of the bunny... lucky you.**

**AA Max: Where's Fang?**

**PB Max: (grunt, snarl, snap) Fang to the convenience store...**

**AA Max: Which one?**

**PB Max: (grunt) Huh?**

**AA Max: Huh?**

**Me: Fang went to get some groceries, so he went to the nearest supermarket, I thought.**

**AA Max: Which ONE?**

**Me: * struggling for words * Y'know, Fang and **_**Fang**_**.**

**AA Max: * facepalm * **

**PB Max: (bark, bark, grin, snarl, grin) *laughing***

**AA Max: On with the sh-**

**PB Fang: (howl, howl, bark, grin, grunt, grunt, grunt, howl, snarl, howl, grin, bark, bark, howl, pounce) WAIT! ON WITH THE SHOW! YES I SAID IT! I GET LAST WORD! HA HA HA HA! I WILL NOW HAVE WORLD DOMINATION! Oh yeah, we bought some lemonade.**

**Me: Thanks, Fang.**

**PB Fang and AA Fang: Which one?**

**Iggy's POV**

"Wait! I saw something there!" Talon yells. I wince.

"Jeezeos! Talon, would you please stop screaming in my ear!" I complain. She looks sheepish, but then her face shows utter excitement.

"Oh my god~! (squiggle abuse) Iggy, I think I got a fragment of my memory back!" I wince again, pained by her screeching.

**Fang's POV**

The doctor had suggested no serious physical activity, meaning that no flying for a while. Her wing wasn't exactly patched up there, and we are extremely lucky that the doctors didn't find her wings while she was in the hospital. I can't imagine what would have happened if they had.

"Let's take a bus!" hoots Gazzy.

"Bus," agrees Iggy. "Cheap, after all."

"OMG! No way! Taxi!" Nudge screams.

"Number one, we can't fit everyone in one taxi, and number two, nobody has enough money for such a long trip," Angel points out. "In fact, I think we have just enough money left on our "Maximum Ride Stolen Credit Card" to rent a car or van for a week or so." That's my girl Angel. Always thinking.

"Great idea, Angel!" smiles Max. She combs her blonde locks and pulls her up for a piggyback ride. I roll my eyes just like about everyone else. Max has been babying Angel ever since she came back. I don't blame her though: Angel has always been Max's favourite.

"Where are we going, anyways?" I ask.

"Talon and I searched up some stuff on Google overnight," explains Iggy. "Which means two things: that we know where the next nine academies are -"

"There are ten?" I question. He nods, looking quite cross that I interrupted him.

"And that we know where the final place to destroy is - we think it's called the Shining Star Base," he finishes.

"Third thing," Talon snaps, "is that if I do not get a nice can of Coke _right now_, I will explode from tiredness and you guys won't even make it to across the street." Iggy snorts a bit with laughter and then pulls some change out of his pocket. It jangles and I notice that he's got about $20 in his wallet as well.

"You're buying something for her?" asks Gazzy, amazed. It's true. Iggy is VERY possessive over how he uses his money.

"You heard the woman. She will explode, and then where will we be...?" Talon growls a bit into his ear, and then they burst out laughing like crazy maniacs. Oh well. At least that means Max won't have to bother with explaining to Talon the rules of the flock. Seems like Iggy and her are a perfect friend fit... although it is true that she used to be Ella.

**Talon's POV **

"You heard the woman. She will explode, and then where will we be...?" Iggy trails off. He takes the change out of his pocket and slips in about $4 or so.

"The woman has a name," I hiss into his ear. He laughs, and I laugh back. Then we kind of trail off into an awkward silence for a few milliseconds, and we start up all over again. I don't get what is so funny, though, even if I'm laughing. I guess I'm feeling high or something.

"Here. I bought us each a coke, but also a pretty expensive bag of Cheetos."

"Cheetos? What the heck are those?" He looks at me strangely, but then realization draws across his face.

"Cheetos. Cheesy, orange, crunchy or puffy sticks of some kind of junky batter whipped in cheese."

"Sounds disgusting, Mr. Dictionary. I'll have everything." He whips the bag out of my reach.

"Oh no, you don't. Let's save the stuff for the road trip."

**Press this button: FAST FORWARD!**

Fang and Max got a beaten-up can - I mean, van - for a week or so with our remaining money after we calculated how much we need for food. Considering we ate at McDonalds or something.

Right now, we were waiting for Fang to return with the van from some junky version of Enterprise.

"Where's Dylan?" asks Nudge. "He should be here somewhere... I mean, after all, he is the DYLAN, he wouldn't run away or anything and I don't think he was that upset about Talon and Max being hurt maybe he was just being tired or something or maybe he went to get something to eat - OMG! I hope that he didn't take all the savings emergency money we have or maybe he did run away? But that makes no sense because he wouldn't ran away like I said earlier, and maybe - I mean, or maybe why am I saying and? Or maybe is way better for grammar, so I could say or maybe -

"Nudge, but I feel like my head is about to burst from the pressure of your talking." Iggy moans.

"That is a good question, though," Angel says thoughtfully. "Let's see... searching through minds..." Suddenly she lets out a gasp.

"Angel! What is it?" I ask urgently. She doesn't respond, only gestures to us to come along to some random door. We press our ears to the metal door. Leading into an alley? People... voices... Wait a second, what are they saying in there?

"I promise I'll never leave you, ever. I will love you forever."

"That's not long enough."

Numerous kissing noises.

"I'm sorry, I have to go now Dylan."

"We'll meet again?"

"You still have that tracker..."

"I still have yours too. See you on Monday, three days from now, midnight, okay?"

"I don't want to leave."

"I don't either, but we'll see each other again."

More kissing noises.

"For good."

"Bye."

A flapping of wings, a murmuring from Dylan's voice.

What? That's Dylan and... who is that? Some other girl with wings?

The door whips open to the hospital, and we jump back. Iggy and I jump over to the nearest vending machine, and we pretend to argue about whether to get Lays or Ruffles (I have no idea what they are, but I think Ruffles is a cool name). Angel and Gazzy pretend they're playing hide-and-seek, and Nudge turns the pages of some random fashion booklet she keeps in her pocket.

Dylan looks at us warily, but I can sense that he thinks that he's okay for now. Now to report to Max...

"Let's not tell Max about this for now, okay?"

I look at Iggy incredulously. He shifts uneasily.

"Look, whoever he loves, it is not in our power to judge."

"She obviously had wings - couldn't you hear the wing beats?" Iggy shakes his head again, sadly.

"Max loves Fang, so most people would think that she would understand Dylan," explains Iggy.

"Yeah. She probably would," I reply. "So what?"

"Well... she wouldn't," sighs Iggy. "It took her days and days to accept Ella as part of the flock and I, and Ella was her half-sister, after all, so she gets a special VIP pass..."

"Are you saying that she would never accept Dylan's lover?"

"Yes." I shake my head.

"But she loves Fang. Of course she would understand!" I say. But my voice trembles with distrust.

"Anyways, this is why we have to keep it quiet."

"But she is your - our - leader!" I think carefully. "So you believe that you have better judgement than your own leader?" I accuse.

"Yes," he mutters. I bite back a sharp swear word.

"If you think that way, this flock would be _dead_ right now," I hiss through my teeth. "Why don't we make our own choices? Take our own opportunities? _Believe that we control the best decisions ourselves?_"

"Talon, you don't understa-"

"No, Igs, _you _do not understand." His anger flares higher. I haven't seen him like _this_ before.

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!" he snarls.

"Shut up!" I hiss. "People are staring at us." He settles down a bit, but still glares at me.

"Talon, we are _not _telling Max about this," he growls.

"Which? Us arguing or Dylan falling in love?" Awkward silence. For some reason, this strikes us as funny, and we start laughing. Ugh. Right at the crucial moment.

"Dylan falling in love," he giggles. He tries a straight face and looks at me.

"So don't."

"I won't."

**Press this button: FAST FORWARD! (Again...)**

**Fang's POV**

"Thank you, Mr. Fannet." the guy says with a British accent. I grimace at the stupid alias that Max has given me.

"No, thank _you_, Mister... Parrotfuller." I have to stop myself from laughing out loud. This guy's last name is hilarious! Whatever. Max has the van... I just hope she can drive. I know that Iggy's a good driver, even when he was blind. I know, it's crazy.

Max honks the ancient horn from outside, then rolls down the window.

"Come _on_, Fang!" she yells irritably. She hasn't been in the greatest mood lately.

I take back our "Maximum Ride Credit Card" and run for it.

**Iggy's POV**

Talon is so... stubborn. I kind of like that. Anyways, laughing at the crucial moment broke the tension, obviously.

As much as Talon is stubborn, at least she listens to me carefully, even if she pretends not to... it reminds me so much of Ella. I guess they're related more than I thought.

"HONK! HONK! HONK!"

I'm startled by the horn of some ancient can - I mean, van, that looks like it's about to fall apart in a second. I snort as I see Max at the wheel. No WAY are we letting her drive. Especially not that brown-rusted-peeling-apart can of a van.

"Flock! Let's get out of here!" she yells.

"Driver!" I call out. Max scowls, but I can tell she doesn't feel like driving across the country.

"Shotgun!" screams Talon. I grin. OF course. This'll be fun.

"Not back-seat!" yells Gazzy, Nudge and Angel.

Max sighs, too tired to compete with other flock members for good seats. She slams the car door a little too hard behind her, and gets into the back.

I open the creaky door and peer inside. The inside decor is definitely not up-to-date, but I think I can drive this wreck... if we're lucky.

I rev up the engine once everyone's inside. Fang stocked up on supplies, including a map. In fact, he planned everything already. Talk about hasty.

**Max's POV**

Ugh! I feel so helpless and tired lately. I can't control my temper, unless I'm around Angel, and I just feel like something that fell out of the sky. **(NO PUN INTENDED)**

Of course Fang and I get the back seats. We glance at each other as we sit down. Sacrifices for the flock. We settle down into the dusty, ripped-leather seats.

"Max, you should sleep. You must be exhausted," says Fang gently. "I bought some stuff for you if you want."

"I can't," I grouch. "Everything you bought is useless." OMG! Did I just say that? When he was being so nice?

"I mean, thanks for your concern or whatev - " I say hurriedly. I get cut off when Fang takes out a pill from his backpack.

"I bought some motion sickness pills, including sleeping pills for you. The doctor said you would need lots of sleep before getting better. You can sleep on me, if you like," he says. He gently rests my head onto his shoulder. I relax. Fang understands...

**Fang's POV**

I absentmindedly stroke Max's shoulder and look out the window. Iggy is telling some pervy joke and Talon is laughing like crazy. Angel and Gazzy are playing cards. Nudge yawns and tries to figure out why Iggy's jokes are so funny.

**Mystery Person's POV**

"Now, now."

I back away very slowly from the white-clad scientist. He holds what looks like a nine-inch syringe filled to the brim with light purple liquid. I know that liquid. Amnesia liquid.

"Now, now... caught you, haven't we? Sending PMs to your lover? Heh."

"Don't... p-please... d-don't hurt me..."

"We won't. This won't hurt _a bit_. Just a prick or two... and your memory is gone forever..."

"Not if I can help it!" **(A/N Has GOT to be the most cliche sentence ever.)**

I turn to... mom's voice.

"You KNOW I am higher up on the scale than you are. I have good reason why we shouldn't prick her with amnesia. Sure, prick her all you'd like with power-ups, but no amnesia. We need to keep this Dylan thing going. You know, replace Max with _her_."

"Yes, Master 24," the scientists robotically intone.

"Dear, dear. There, there. Ah. Repetition of words. Come along, now. Time for a little surprise for ."

**Me: NOT A CLIFFY! DO YOU HEAR ME OUT THERE IN THE BACK! STALKERS OUTSIDE! THIS IS NOT A CLIFFY!**

**PB Fang: (growl, bark, sniff, bark, pounce, grin) Oh, stuff it. Anyways... I found three friends today!**

**AA Max: (sniff, bark, bark, growl, grin, pounce, snarl, scratch) Oh, does that complete your goal of ten non-human friends?**

**AA Fang: Max. Stuff it.**

**AA Max: Number one, what is with the "stuff it"? Stop trying to sound more bad than you really are. And Number two, no, I will not stuff it! :(**

**AA Fang: I was talking to PB Max.**

**AA Max: Umm... I knew that?**

**PB Fang: Meet Canadian geese, Larry, Harry, and Mary!**

**Mary: (honk, peck) Hallo!**

**Larry: (honk, peck, peck, flap) Bit warm in here, is it, eh?**

**Harry: (honk, peck, wing wind, cross wings) Okay, dudes, and Mary, we're making guest appearances only today. So let's make the best of it! **

**Mary: (honk, peck, peck, peck, honk, flap) I like pie! And cheese! But most of all, maple syrup!**

**Larry: (honk, flap, flap, peck, peck, wing wind) I play Double A hockey, on Team Goosefeathers!**

**Harry: (honk, honk, peck, peck, cross wings, wing wind, HONK) And I can honk louder than a snowmobile!**

**Me: Okay, clear it up, everyone! Next time, guest appearance of May the Moose!**


	14. Chapter 14: Mystery Person Revealed!

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I HOPE SO. 'CAUSE I REALLY DO NOT WANT TO GET SUED. OR STUFF. I WONDER WHY I SAY, "OR STUFF". STUFF IS SUCH A WEIRD WORD. THE AGAIN, EVERYTHING SOUNDS WEIRD WHEN YOU SAY IT OVER AND OVER, LIKE "HAMMER. HAMMER. HAMMER. HAMMER." JUST KEEP ON SAYING THAT. IT SOUNDS WEIRD LATER. TRUST ME. AND I'LL THROW IN THE BONUS THAT YOU'LL LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT.**

**Reviewer of the Week: None other than CISV. Sorry folks, for the delay!**

**Other Reviewers: Nixie Rayne, candycanelover, PurpleTea88, BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide, and Kelsie Rose!**

**NOTE: BTW! THE MYSTERY PERSON IS REVEALED IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU WISH TO GUESS, GUESS NOW!**

**Me: *whistling***

**May: Hello?**

**Me: May, you made it!**

**May: Hey... where are PB Max and Fang? Or AA Max or Fang for that matter?**

**Me: *singing***

**May: You're in an awfully good mood.**

**Me: *still singing* Tra-la-la-la!~ Max, Fang, called away by friends in California!~**

**May: I see. Where did PB Max and Fang go?**

**Me: Hey. May. the PBs went to Cali. The AAs went to Guatemala, some friend author calling them.**

**May: By your tone, i can deduce that - **

**Me: Um... scientist much?**

**May: Okay. Giving up the scientist act.**

**Me: Anyways, on with the - *phone ringing***

**May: *picks up the phone* Yes?**

**PB Fang: (howl, smile, grin, howls more, growl, snarl) YAY! ON WITH THE SHOW! *crackles* WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY FANG DAY!**

**Us: ?**

**Nudge's POV**

"Bet'cha fifty bucks that Talon and Iggy are getting together," I whisper to Gazzy.

"You're on," he growls. "For a hundred bucks."

I smile. Great. Now I need to make sure that everything works in my favor.

**Gazzy's POV**

"Bet'cha fifty bucks that Talon and Iggy are getting together," Nudge whispers to me.

"You're on," I growl. "For a hundred bucks."

I smile. Great. Now I need to make sure that everything works in my favor.

**Talon's POV**

"Pit stop!" Iggy yells. With that, everyone literally rips the doors open to get to the bathroom.

"We're almost at Santa Fe," he tells me. "Just an hour or so."

"That's it?" I ask, disappointed. I liked being with Iggy.

"Well, we're staying a night at a cheap motel. Then we head off to Denver. After that, we arrive at Lincoln, Des Moines, Madison. I think after that we can ditch the car at the Junky Enterprise in Madison. Max will be better by then, and we can get to New York City."

"Well, that's good. You only got through Books 1 to 3 in the Maximum Ride Adventure Chronicles, presented orally by motor mouth Nudge."

He snorts. "Cheetos? Or Lays?"

"Ruffles. Definitely Ruffles All Dressed."

He pulls out what seems like thousands of coins, mostly nickels and dimes, picking out a HUGE bag of Ruffles All Dressed. Delicious. It'll be our dinner. We had Cheetos for lunch.

"Ruffles? No way am I eating Ruffles All Dressed. Last time I did, I threw up," Max complains.

"How about if you buy that for the flock, I'll buy Ms. Picky here a few cans of Ketchup Pringles," suggests Fang. Iggy laughs and Max pouts when Fang calls her, "".

"For dessert... let's take one of those Lays Sour Cream and Onion," Gazzy calls.

"Nah. SO Salt Malt and Vinegar from 's," yelps Nudge.

"Whatever," Iggy yawns. "No way I'm buying that stuff for ya. Eat whatever we chose."

"You mean Talon chose," Gazzy pouts. Nudge sends a sickly sweet look at Gazzy. That look is not pretty. Not pretty at all.

**Max's POV **

"Max? Come _on_, Max. We have to destroy Base 4. Please wake up."

I yawn, stretching out. That was a great nap. Best dream I've had in _ages_. And don't ask me what the dream was about. You'll freak out. Fang would - never mind.

My clenched fist hits something. Wha-?

"Ow! I know you're tired, ya don't have to punch me in the jaw!" Fang complains.

"Stop being a wuss," I sigh. "Alright. Where's this Base 4?"

"Hidden literally underground," murmurs Talon. "Crazy, isn't it! I think Base 9 was the only one above ground, a sort of connection between the underground and the Shining Star Base..."

"Since we destroyed that, how are they supposed to get orders?" asks Iggy.

"Maybe they're still scrambling to fix tha - " I start.

"Wait! I got it! They must have sent out representatives out from underground to - " Talon interrupts.

" - fix the connections from - " Iggy continues

" - all the bases to the main - " Talons says thoughtfully.

" - and create a new base?" Iggy asks.

"Dunno. Probably not. Base 9 was a pretty complicated base. They'd take YEARS to build another one..." Talon trails off.

"But -" I get interrupted.

"Not with these new mutants doing the building," says Iggy, grimacing.

"How-" I try again.

"Still, months then," points out Talon. "They'll need to create and remake ALL the supplies."

"What if-" I suggest.

"I guess we'll just have to make a race for time, then," sighs Iggy. "Better get crackin'. Talon, Gazzy, The Boom Team. Let's get together and figure something out."

"WHO'S THE LEADER AROUND HERE?" I yell. Ah, that's better. All the steam's blown away.

But now the flock is in an incredulous stupor, just staring at me.

Awkward silence.

"I mean, let's make a plan _together_," I emphasize, embarrassed . But I like your "Boom Team". Whatever. Anyways, Nudge, Angel, and I will break in. Fang and Dylan will be the first fighting wave. We will be the second."

Fang nods. Dylan grunts.

"Fang, say at least ONE WORD. As for you, Dylan, I have NO idea what's been with you these past weeks. Seriously," I chide. Actually, I am kinda worried about him...

"Fine," Fang says casually. Dylan growls a bit, then grunts.

"Oh wow, Dylan. Great effort. Whatever. Work on that later. Now WHERE IS THIS BASE?" I ask, the slightest bit annoyed.

"Nf-24", Talon muses. "Straight road. We should get to Caja Del Oro Grant West Road soon." Iggy follows her directions exactly.

The rental car sputters on the turns. I think some piece of metal falls off it when we hit the whatchamcallit road.

"We're here. This is Caja Del Oro Grant West Road. The base should be disguised as a cement factory."

"A what?" Gazzy asks innocently. What is he thinking...?

"A cement factory." He smiles a bit. Uh-oh. Not good.

"Y'know," he chirrups. "It would be REALLY nice to get a little bit of some of that Silicon, Calcium, Iron, and Aluminum. Some good stuff for my bombs, y'know?" I sigh.

"Gazzy..."

"It'll help with our blowin' up stuff," he pouts. He's getting good at that.

"Sure, get some stuff. Just get out there QUICK," I say cautiously.

"OH YEAH!" Gazzy yelps. He slaps a high-five with Iggy and Talon. Oh, God. That just confirms that I've said yes to something I shouldn't have.

**Iggy's POV**

In honest truth, I didn't think that Talon would be the greatest bomber.

I was definitely wrong.

As we slink down the hallways of the cement factory, Gazzy carefully picks up different chemicals and minerals in weird bottles and metal mini-caskets. I know. Caskets. They're just that sick.

"Whoah! No way!" Gazzy exclaims.

"Nitrogen, Oxygen, Carbon. A tri-glass! I only hear about these, I've never even seen one!" Talon mutters, excited.

"With the rest of our stuff combined with that..." I continue.

"They are done for. Like, as in, having to scrape their remains off the floor for 61 days done for," Talon finishes. I grin. I like it when Talon finishes my sentences. It's... never mind.

"Anyways. I think there's a vent somewhere. Do you think we can..."

"Connection Domino Effect Explosion Chain?" I ask. She grins.

"Plan of Ultimate Destruction of Seriously Demented Psychos."

**Fang's POV**

I was worried about Dylan. Like, seriously. I mean, he's a bastard, but at least he stuck out for Max when I wasn't here. That should count for something.

I believe in second chances.

"Hey, Dylan, so what's the plan?" I ask, trying to pry out at him.

"I'm not going."

"What?" I exclaim. He looks at me with those bloodshot, now dark blue eyes. Who knew his eyes grew darker when he's stressed?

"I'm not going," he spits. "This is stupid. If we want to blow up the bases, we have to do them all at once. Not one at a time. Like, pack explosives in a tunnel underground them or something."

"The bases are far away," I argue, " and we might kill innocent civilians or something." He snarls, animal-like, and that makes me back up. What's wrong with him?

"Shut up!" he roars. "All of you, just SHUT UP!" He howls into the graying sky, very wolf-like. Wait... wolf-like? Eraser-like?

He falls to the ground, clutching his head.

"**SHUT UP! **SHUT UP! Shut UP! SHUT up! Shut up! _Shut up_!" He snarls. "Get out of my _head_!" He starts literally rolling on the ground, fighting some invisible force that he can't break free from.

"Dylan!" I yell. "Snap out of it!" I pull him up to his feet.

Bad idea.

He starts throwing wild punches, roaring and snarling and he actually starts to try and _bite _me.

"Dylan! Wake UP!" I screech into his ear.

"SHUT UP!" he howls. He looks at me with those angry, angry, blue eyes. Animal eyes.

"I... I'm sorry," he manages to choke out in his normal voice for a second. But then Possessed Dylan pops out again.

"WROAR!" he bellows. He slams his body into the car.

"DYLAN!" I shriek. "STOP! DYLAN, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO US!" That slows him down a bit, and I try to scream at him again.

"DYLAN!" I yell. "JUST... COOL IT!" Wow. My best attempt at wording. I should study a bit from Max. He definitely stops now. I walk over to him.

His eyes are normal, like always.

His memory is gone.

"Wha-?" he asks, when he sees his ripped up hands and shirt. He'd slammed into something sharp, I guess.

"Dylan," I attempt to say lightly, "you just went psycho. Like animal or Eraser-like psycho."

Silence.

"I knew this would happen someday. I didn't think they would be able to control me so soon," he frets.

"What? Who? Why?" I ask, startled. He knows something we don't...?

"Dr. G," he explains, "put some machine in my brain when I was just a week old. Besides controlling my emotions for Max - I twitch - he also said he might be able to control me someday."

"Why didn't you stop him?"

"His controller... it's in his own brain," he explains. I just stare. Did I hear right?

"But he's... he's dead."

"Max and I never saw the body in our plane wreckage."

"It's impossible!" I shout. "There's no WAY that he could have survived that crash!"

Dylan opens his mouth to say something, but the walkie-talkie on my jeans crackles, and Talon's voice whispers out.

"Alright guys, here me out. Get to mostly the right of the factory to where you are - there are way more mutants there. The bombs are set to five seconds once we detonate them. Hurry!"

Well, Dylan's issue will have to wait another day.

'Cause he's not gonna be _too _dangerous, right?

Right?

**Max's POV**

"Alright. Party one. Hear me out?" I ask cautiously.

"Loud and clear. Where are you?" Fang's voice wavers a bit.

"Nearly breached security. Nudge took care of passwords. Angel took care of guards. Then I took care of easy doors and maps."

"We're at the Main Area."

"We're right outside that."

"Good. I'll yell, "HIYAH!" and that will send ya running." I have to have Nudge choke me to stop myself from laughing.

"Hiyah?"

"Hiyah."

"See ya."

"Bye."

Another crackle, and the fight is _on_.

**Dylan's POV**

Shoot. This is her base, I'm sure of it.

_Start of Flashback*_

_"This is wrong," I say, stepping away from her._

_"If this is wrong, what is right?" she asks, hurt staining her voice._

_"I...I'm loyal to the flock. If we ever meet in battle, I have to... have to kill you." I expect her to be surprised but she isn't._

_"Dylan... I understand..." I sigh._

_"But... Dylan..." She's got something else to say?_

_"Just one night. Tonight. Our last night. Make me forget it all," she whispers._

_End of Flashback*_

What have I done?

The pandemonium that sets off when we appear is enormous. But soon, the scientists get everything into order, and the mutants punch the ground, ready to kill.

Some are huge murder machines, with knives as fingers, breathing fire, bullets and guns lodged into their spines.

Others are speedy, lithe, with just a dash of poison or a small arrow. But their speed makes the blow fatal and vicious.

The final kind were her kind. Built like bird kids, without the experiences. Speedy, strong, smart. But she's never been in the outside world by herself. Only when I was with her, of course...

"Let the strongest army win!" sneers a Pencil.

And we clash.

Base 4 is a big base with a small amount of mutants. Just twenty seven. But those twenty seven _hurt_.

Slash, punch, kick, dodge... Fang and I get into the rhythm of the battle.

Then red tinges my view.

My Murder Senses sharpen, although I will them not to. No... I can't turn into the mass-killer. I need to make sure I can see her and keep her safe.

Just then, Fang -

"!" he shrieks. With that, Nudge, Angel, and Max tumble into the scene. Nudge and Angel pretty much have it made - this machinery is all metal to Nudge, and Angel... she just always has it made.

Max is slashing through the crowd, and eventually the remaining mutants just seem to draw away from her as she moves.

I can see her. She's within jumping distance now. Good. But wait.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I cry.

**Max's POV**

As I slash through the crowd, I see one mutant looking pretty much terrified at the sight of me. I swing back my arm to punch through her perfect little skull.

But as my arm swings forward -

"!"

Dylan blocks the way.

I end up smashing his ribcage to bits.

He sits up, still trying to stand up right to shield the mutant.

"YOU CAN'T KILL HER!" Dylan howls. "IF SHE GOES, I DO TOO!"

"SHUT UP!" I yell. "STOP THIS! YOU'RE PART OF THE FLOCK, TRAITOR!" What the hell is he doing protecting an enemy?

"YOU CAN'T KILL HER!" he howls again. "She's..." his voice drops. "She's... your sister."

He steps back.

Ella?

**Me: Ahah! Cliffy, cliffy, cliffy, cliffy cliffy!**

**May: I believe that "cliffy" refers to cliffhanger?**

**Me: I TOLD you to STOP the scientist act!**

**May: Sorries, many sorries.**

**Me: Coffee?**

**May: Sure. Two and two. (Canadians, get this)**

**Me: Perfect. *telephone ringing***

**Me: *picks up* Hello?**

**PB Fang: (howl, sniffle, howl, roar, sniffle, break down) LMWOE! Max is being mean to me again!**


	15. Chapter 15: We're Over And Dead

**Chapter 15**

**I know I didn't mention why I wasn't updating. Some reasons:**

**1. Life's really sucked for me lately.**

**2. Trip to Vancouver for a week.**

**3. Mom's always on a rampage in May and June.**

**Please forgive me.**

**I just want to say some thanks to my friends at school.**

**Two of my best friends have turned up their noses and left me as is.**

**One of them has been my best friend since the very beginning when I came to my school.**

**But there are a couple people who've stuck with me for the year.**

**CISV. She's been a good friend since the middle of the year. But by good friend, I mean, awesome friend.**

**Glynnis. She doesn't have a Fanfiction account, so just using her real name. But Glynnis was my friend all the way from the start and she still is. So I just want to say thanks for helping me in my "Life-Sucks" Phase.**

**Also, KUDOS TO NIXIE RAYNE FOR GUESSING THE MYSTERY CHARACTER RIGHT!**

**Also, I AM SORRY IF SOME OF THE LETTERING DID NOT SHOW UP ON FANFICTION: NOT MY FAULT. IT'S A REALLY WEIRD GLITCH OR SOMETHING. FORGIVE! PLEASE! I THINK THE GLITCH AFFECTS MULTIPLE PUNCTUATION LIKE LOTS OF ! OR SOMETHING, AND DELETES EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE LAST "!"**

**Disclaimer: Disclaimers are for noobs! Whatever. But still. I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE! OR FANG! OR ANGEL! OR ANY FLOCK MEMBERS! But I do have that cute little kitty-cat on my headboard...**

**Reviewer of the Week: NIXIE RAYNE! FILL THE SKY WITH YOUR AMAZING GUESSING POWERS~! BTW, I HAVE ****JUST ****REALIZED THAT YOU CHANGED YOUR NAME FROM KELSIE ROSE TO NIXIE RAYNE...**

**Other Reviewers:**

**CISV (Change to Guatemalan Chili, please!)**

**PurpleTea88 **

**BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide (Sigh... I had to copy it from previous chapters... AGAIN. Your pen name is so LONG! Not complaining. I guess people can't really stalk you now...)**

**XxDDxX - High - Five! Double Deannas!**

**Me: *Listening to Smile by Uncle Kracker* **_**Ohh, you make me smile...**_

**PB Fang: (sing-song howl) We're !**

**PB Max: (grunt)**

**PB Fang: (smiling, happy, roar, growl, howl) It was the BEST!**

**PB Max: (grunt, growl, snarl, growl) It sucked.**

**PB Fang: (howl, sad face) No polar bears, though.**

**PB Max: (grunt)**

**AAs: *bursting through the door* We didn't miss anything?**

**Me: *singing along* **_**You steal away the rain and just like that...**_

**AA Max: Hey, isn't that the song you did for your song-fic The Harold Song?**

**Me: Fourth chapter song. Haven't uploaded yet... *hums along to another song***

**AA Fang: And that's Hummingbird Heartbeat.**

**AA Max: Well, Fangles, you sure know your songs.**

**AA Fang: And now she's changed it to...E.T... Firework... The Lazy Song... **

**AA Max: Get a life.**

**AA Fang: Sorry, I heard they're sold out.**

**AA Max: Psshhhhht.**

**AA Fang: Also, they're really expensive. You have to have connections, 'cause you need to be God for a few seconds. Even Bill Gates only ever became God for 43 seconds.**

**AA Max: Because you can only be God for so many seconds in a day. *rolls eyes***

**PB Fang: HAPPITY POST-FANG DAY EVERYONE! ME LOVIES!**

**PB Max: He's crazy. Close the curtains to the new chapter before everyone finds out what a lunatic he is!**

**PB Fang: *singing* La-la-la-la! On with the tra-la-la, SHOW!**

**Max's POV**

What the hell?

Ella?

"Ella?" I ask, voicing my thoughts.

"Max..." she's lost for words.

The sounds of the battle blur out. It's just Ella, Dylan, and I.

"Ells, why are you... on _their _side?"

"I... I'm sorry Max," she wails. "I can't leave. Once they put wings on me, they also put up a kind of invisible barrier that I can't get through. Something in my head tells me I can't get through, I can't get through. I can't leave. I can't leave," she wails over and over. Her screeching almost is hypnotic, just blurring the outside sounds more.

I turn to Dylan.

"So is this why you're acting weird?" I ask. "Don't tell me. I already know. Sneaking out to meet her at night. No wonder you've got bags under your eyes. Do you think I don't notice how you never seem to sleep well? Dylan, I can't believe you could ever do this to the flock."

"The only important one in the flock was _you_," he sighs. "But you're taken. And I realized... I didn't really love you."

"Dylan, if that's the way you think about the flock," I say, horrified, "then you are wrong. The flock is a family. Deal with one, deal with all."

"I don't want to have to save everyone's sorry butt all the time," he snarls. "Survival of the fittest."

"Safety in numbers," I argue.

"Yeah, right," he sneers.

"If you can't kill her, you can't be part of the flock," I say harshly. His eyes flicker with a mixture of anger and sadness. He _wants_ to be part of the flock.

"I will not kill her. She is a good fighter. Will you accept her _into _the flock?" he suggests. He might as well be asking me, _" Would you like to give up treating me like a traitor and having fun with it and giving in to a pathetic little wimp?" _

"Think of Fang." Okay. Those words hit me hard.

"Fang would have _died _for you. The same as I will die for Ella." Okay, that makes up my mind. Him and his damn poeticness.

Silence.

"Dylan. I wish I could."

"You can."

"I can't."

"You can. You always have had a choice Max. In everything. And this is one life-changing choice for you and me." Damn. He is poetic and cliche. What a great quality. For him, I mean.

Silence.

How does he do that?

How does he make me change my usually adamant mind?

"Alright. Let's get going," I growl. "Dylan, fill her in with the plan, I'll be around you guys in case you plan to double-cross me." He doesn't even pretend to deny he won't double-cross me. He just talks excitedly to Ella, and Ella dreamily looks into his eyes. Yeesh, now I'm getting poetic.

Something stops me dead.

"Angel!" I scream.

**Fang's POV**

"Angel!" I hear Max scream.

Everyone in the flock instinctively turns to the sound, even Nudge, who's wrestling fiercely with a guy bird kid about her age.

Everything is in slow motion.

Angel's mouth has turned into an "O".

Max has jumped to shield her from a volley of bullets, at least sixteen or something, with bullets still shooting out of the three shotguns that are held by a crazy, four-armed wolf with a whip-like tail.

She falls to the ground, collapsing into a heap.

Angel controls the wolf's mind fiercely, and actually uses him as a shield for the other speeding bullets.

And this happens in just about two seconds.

Two seconds for me to realize that Max might be dead.

"Max!" I yell, and sprint to her. I kneel to the ground, watching in horror at all the blood she's lost.

"Fang," she says weakly. "'Sup?" I start tearing away at my shirt, trying to staunch the bleeding from the wounds. Hopeless. Eventually, I just take my entire shirt off. Max is definitely eyeing me, although she's trying to show that she's not.

"Max, Max, it'll be okay," I panic. I'm more reassuring myself than Max. "We'll take you to a hospital or something, and I can donate blood, and - "

"Fang, it's okay," she mutters heavily. "Just a - " and she falls unconscious.

For a second, I think she's dead.

"Max!" I wail. I gently but frantically pick up her wounded body and start carrying her on my back, the most efficient way.

Any other time, being wounded, tired, worn out from fighting, and psychologically disturbed would have prevented me from carrying Max flying, like, really far away.

But I could.

It was crazy. Like those moms who can lift three cars at a time because their baby is in the middle of a crash.

And we're off.

**Talon's POV**

"The factory's explosion actually looks like a pretty flower when you look at it from up here," I tell Iggy.

"You are such a sadist," he says, laughing, assuring me it's just a joke.

"You're such a perv."

"You're such a whiner."

"You're such a wuss."

"You're such a girly-girl." That does it.

I crash into his wing heavily, making him drop about ten feet, really, really fast.

For a second, I almost think he will plunk into the highway.

But he tries to fly up to me, and that's when I try and push him back down. I grab his shirt and try and drag him in the air.

"Who's a girly-girl?" I hiss.

"No one!" he wails.

"You are such a squealer."

"You're such a violent person."

"You're such a creation, I can't even look at you."

"Whoops, sorry I forgot. Talking to you is NOT ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO TODAY."

"Hey, I've got ten seconds to spare. Tell me everything you know."

"I bet you're birth certificate is an apology from the condom factory."

"Hey, I was wondering, how many friends do you have? Because I know that you can count up to just about four."

"More that you."

"Oh, stop flirting, love birds," scoffs Nudge. Okay, that sends a huge red blush covering my face.

"We're friends, Nudge," I reply gently.

"Yeah, right," Nudge says sarcastically, and flies up to where Gazzy is trying to make Angel feel better about being in Max's range.

**Angel's POV (I know, different, right?)**

"It's alright, Angel. She'll be okay, anyways. Max is invincible," Gazzy tries to convince me. I know he's trying to be sincere.

_Come on, Angel won't listen to me. Max will get better, it's actually her I'm worried about..._

"You don't have to be worried about me, Gazzy," I assure my brother. "Thanks for being concerned. It's just that I'm kinda upset about Max getting injured." He nods, relieved, and we fly in comfortable silence. I listen to other people's thoughts. Maybe Nudge's?

_I just HAVE to make Iggy and Talon get together. Gazzy bet a hundred bucks. That's a lot, if you're in need for short shorts..._

Well, that's interesting. I try Gazzy's.

_Shoot. Iggy and Talon look way too close. I'll have to work hard to separate them to win a hundred bucks._

Bets on Talon and Iggy's relationship? Umm... not so great. I try Talon's.

_I like his hair and skin... and his laugh. I love his atmosphere. It makes me feel so comfortable. I wonder if that's right for just a friend...? But he IS just a friend, duh. What am I thinking? Whatever. Nudge's talking has just gotten to me, duh._

Obviously talking about Iggy, duh.

_God, Talon looks so hot today. I love her smile. It lights up her eyes even brighter. She's even prettier than ever in the sunlight. She kind of glows with a positive aura. And how she talked to Nudge. She's such a great problem handler... thinking about what Nudge said, I wonder if how I feel about her... is she still just a friend? I dunno. I guess... _

I sigh. Oh, hormones. Fang and Max used to rant like this sometimes, and did I tell you people have thoughts when they dream? Oh, I probably shouldn't tell you about Fang's fantasies and stuff. Max almost never has them, thankfully. Otherwise, I'd seriously lose the respect for her.

Right now, Fang and Max are already at some hospital I don't know in Santa Fe. Nudge's the only one who's heard of it and remembered it because some famous celebrity model once had an operation there. Yeah, I know. Obsessed.

_I hope Max will be okay with Ella staying... I mean, she was pretty pissed at first, but I think she was pissed at me. I'm glad I'm poetic enough to save Ella's life. Whatever. But I think Max will be okay. Just Ella seems to be kind of emotionally shattered. I need to protect her..._

Well, seems like Max didn't react well to the Ella news.

The rest of the flock had greeted Ella with hugs, including her, except for Iggy. Instead, he just stiffly shook her hand. He obviously didn't like that she was with Dylan. But the only thing that kept him from shouting at her was probably Talon. She dragged Iggy away, and they chattered non-stop, and Iggy's face had lit up like a Christmas tree.

_I love Dylan so much. He's helped me through everything. He protected me from Max and scientists and other mutants. I always had thought I loved Iggy, but not the same way I love Dylan. Iggy seemed too much like a... friend. Dylan's more than that. Most people would say he's over protective, but I think that's what I need in my life for now. Security. My world's been so out of control, and Dylan has offered security and happiness. He's like a gift or a blessing..._

Wow. Ella's got deep thoughts. I usually don't listen to people's thoughts like this, often and one at a time. It's just that I was really curious after reading Nudge's mind. Then Iggy's and Talon's remided me of Dylan's and Ella's.

"Hey! We're here!" Nudge squeals.

"I'm sure Max will be okay," Talon comforts a worried Iggy. Gazzy makes an imitation of Max.

"Hey! I am Maximum Ride, and I am SO in love with Fang." That made us all crack up. "And I'll be okay from eighteen bullet wounds. Because I am made of steel! I am Invincible Maximum!" He does a Hulk pose, and Nudge laughs so hard she falls a few feet from the air. Especially since Gazzy has 100% accuracy in voice imitation.

"Alrighty guys, I think we should get inside now," Ella says.

"Good idea," I chirrup enthusiastically. "And don't worry, Ella. Max might have been unfriendly to you, but that's how she approaches every situation. She was just kinda stunned. I mean, you're her _sister. _Of course she'll be okay with you being here."

Ella visibly relaxes, and Dylan smiles at me. I'm glad I could make Ella feel better. Max might be our leader, but she still makes quite a few mistakes. But most of the time, she has Fang or me to clean up the messes she's left behind. I'm fine with that. She respects me a lot more now. And babies me. Not that I'm complaining.

**Max's POV**

"Urgh..." I moan as I flutter my eyes open. Had I gone unconscious? But my side is _killing _me.

"Max?" Fang asks. "Max, are you okay?" I think it's sweet he's so concerned.

"Ow..."

"It's alright. We're in another - "

"Hospital?" I ask drowsily.

"Yeah," Fang mutters, a little anxiously. "But you'll get out of here soon. Your wounds are almost healed right up."

"I lost a lot of blood," I say, confused. "I should have... you know, died or become seriously injured or something."

"I donated some blood to you," Fang explains.

"You saved my life?" I ask. Aw. How cliche. Although usually, the guy doesn't save the life from certain blood loss, but more from burglars or dragons.

"Kinda... yeah," he says awkwardly. I smile. Fang's face is really cute when he's all nervous or awkward.

"Thanks, Fang." Somehow, that sentence leaves us hanging. Like this empty space that I was supposed to fill...

**Iggy's POV**

We try and casually stroll through the hospital, but the smell of antiseptic reaches and smacks me right on the face.

Never mind, that was Talon, trying to snap me out of my drug-induced haze.

"Iggy, I hate to admit this, but I'm scared..." she whispers into my ear.

"Bad memories?"

"Yeah..."

"Here," I offer, "just hold on to me. Like a teddy bear." She snorts.

"Like I would. And you're a very unusual teddy bear." But she kind of relaxes at the sound of our jokes. Something familiar to hold on to.

Then, an ear-piercing scream fills our ears. Just a second or two, but it sends the doctors running. Talon squeaks and alarmed, actually hugs me.

Awkward.

"Sorry," she says, a blush creeping onto her face. "I was just startled."

"Iz alright?" I mumble. Why do I feel all dizzy?

**Talon's POV**

I can't believe I just hugged him.

Okay.

**Iggy's POV**

I can't believe she just hugged me.

Okay.

**Fang's POV**

Max has just gone to sleep, with me stroking her uninjured side, daydreaming.

And I'm there.

I'm at the rocky cliff that Max and I first kissed.

Then I'm at the grassy field, the last time we spent real time together.

In Paris, where our hateful thoughts were coldly spent.

In Arizona, where our broken hearts mended back together again.

"Is Max okay?"

I'm startled out of my daydream, zapping back to the hospital.

"Of course, Angel, sweetie," I reply. "She's made of steel, remember?" Angel giggles.

"I Max. I strong. I steel. I Hulk," Gazzy grunts in Max's voice. I laugh hard enough that makes Max wake up again.

At first, she looks a little pissed, but she's okay with it when the flock's there.

"Sorry guys," she sighs. "That hunk of junk, meaning our rental car, is on it's last wheels and I'm just bandaged up."

"Is alright," assures Talon. "We've discussed things already and we're good with it."

"I'll at least _try _to fly," Max promises.

"We'll stop, though, if you want," offers Gazzy. Max ruffles his hair lovingly.

"Thank you," she says. "Now, what I really wanted was to talk to Ella and Dylan." Oh, I think they're in for it now. Dylan looks like he's broken into a sweat, and even Ella looks a little scared.

"I'm not going to bite you," Max complains. "Loosen up. Anyways, just a talk to clear things up." What? We can't have those traitors in our flock!

I step up warily, also menacingly. "Actually, I hope we can have _all _the flock's opinion on this," I say politely. "But, uh, I'd really like if I could talk to you later, Max." She nods approvingly, looking a little surprised that I was the first to challenge her.

"Very well then. Later," she says seriously.

**Max's POV**

Okay, I probably sounded stupid, but at least I got the point across. But Fang? What does he want? I'm pretty sure that all of the flock is happy that Ella's back, except for Iggy. But he's got Talon, and he's working out well. I'm really glad Talon's here and we accepted her. She's doing some real good to Iggy, who I thought needed some support.

"Alrighty, so, I want to start at how you met," I pry, but not to nosily.

"I was on an outside mission," Ella began. "When the Gen 77 leaders send some mutants out to go on a mission. Mine was fairly simple - steal some parts from a special black-market RadioShack. Something easy for a newbie."

"I was in the RadioShack at the time," Dylan confesses. "When she started stealing all the parts with abnormal speed and strength, I knew she was a mutant."

"He stopped me," Ella continues, "and managed to leak some information out of me. We also agreed to meet next Friday at a bistro I knew, which I had paid to spray a large, shining falling star on it using glow-in-the-dark spray paint."

"We kept meeting every Friday after that," Dylan admits. "And then almost every day. I have the same super speed as you, I realized one day."

"Sorry to interrupt, but why didn't you tell me?" I ask, surprised.

"This was before Fang came back, I thought you didn't care," he sighs sadly.

"Oh. Okay then. On with the story, please." Had I really been that depressed?

"So, we kept on meeting, but we knew something was wrong. You see, they give you only a couple weeks to complete your mission to the fullest. Or else they... they..." Ella stammers. She shakes her head. "Sorry, bad memories."

"It's okay," I reply, understanding how it felt like.

"So, um... I helped her steal parts because she didn't have enough."

"WHAT?" I exclaim. "Dylan, out of all the things - "

"Or else she would die," he growls.

"Okay, that changes stuff," I admit.

"Base 4 was Ella's prison until we blew it sky-high," Dylan continues. "That's how we got here." I consider the story for a moment.

"You're story's accurate enough..." I think out loud. Then I turn to Dylan.

"Dylan. I don't know if I can trust you. But you were part of the flock when we stopped Mooey, which counts for something. And I know Fang would have wanted to give the same support to me as you did to Ella."

Ella's turn.

"Ella, I trust your judgement. If you trust Dylan and love him with all your heart, I think we can live as our entire flock."

Wide grins cover their faces, and Ella hugs me.

"Max, oh, thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Ella, I missed you as a sister," I smile. "_Now _I have to deal with Fang."

**Fang's POV**

"Fang? You can come in now." I try to make myself relax from blowing like a volcano. Everyone was pretty content that Dylan and Ella are staying, I mean, two more fighters, but how could Max trust them so easily?

I walk in, fists clenched, trying to reduce my annoyance and anger.

"Hey, Max," I try to say casually. It comes out stiff.

Awkward pause. Max raises her eyebrows, wanting me to say something.

"Why did you let them into in our flock?" She looks kind of surprised, but she seems to understand my point. Good. I need her to.

"Um. Aren't you glad?" she asks curiously.

"Well, of course," I say hurriedly, trying to cover up my real feelings. "It's not about that. Just curious."

"Well, for one thing, they're both two fighters, and Dylan is a murder machine - we know that."

"And Ella?" I question.

"I haven't tested her skills just yet," she admits.

"Then why did you - "

"Hold on, I'm not finished," she mutters. "Now, Second, Dylan might have betrayed us -"

"Which is why he shouldn't be trusted," I growl, interrupting.

"Can I please finish my reasons before you interrupt?" she asks, looking pretty annoyed.

"Sorry. Go on," I sigh.

"Okay, so Dylan might have betrayed us, but he had to deal with a lot of emotional stress, and he helped us get rid of Dr. GM." She pauses for a second. "And, for Ella, well, she's my sister. I think I can trust her judgement. If she loves Dylan, then I think Dylan can be trusted."

"That's a stupid reason," I argue.

"Are you challenging my sister's decision?" she snarls. "Because this can go a long way, Fang. Especially if it's about the flock and my relatives at the same time."

"They are dangerous to the flock. Who knows if this is all show?" I growl.

"Don't you think Angel would know, anyways?" she hisses back.

"What if she's one of _them_?" I challenge. Max seems to gape a little at that.

"If we're going to accuse each other and turn against ourselves, well, that's a dandy game we can all play," she speaks through her teeth.

"You've changed, Maximum Ride," I clench my fists again.

"For the better!" she retorts. "Now I know what an unfriendly bitch I was before!"

"You were being smart, idiot!" I yell.

"I don't want to end up as unforgiving and ungrateful as you!" she shouts.

"At least I know what's best for the flock!" I scream.

"Well, then maybe you should lead it!" she screams back hysterically. "Maybe we should just fall apart, and you just go and smile and get all dandy with your total of two friends!"

"Stop looking at this all wrong, Maximum!" I shriek. "This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

"SHUT UP!" she screams. "You're right! This isn't how it's supposed to be! THAT'S IT FANG, WE'RE OVER AND DEAD!"

I can't take it anymore.

I throw a punch, right at her face.

But I miss.

On purpose.

My fist shatters the drywall.

And she freakin' jumps out the window. With eighteen bullet wounds.

Crap, she's badass.

**Nudge's POV**

Well, I'm glad that Ella and Dylan are back. They're so sweet together, and I think that they'll calm the clamor in our daily lives a bit.

Ella and Dylan are playing with Angel and Gazzy, where Ella's having a tea party with Angel, and Gazzy's a chef. Dylan pretends to accidently spill spaghetti sauce all over himself, and Angel giggles while she tries to clean him up with a fake napkin.

"THAT'S IT FANG, WE'RE OVER AND DEAD!"

Drywall shattering.

Flapping of wings.

What the hell? Ella and Dylan look worriedly at each other, but Angel and Gazzy try to get their attention again. Talon whispers urgently to Iggy, and they separate. Talon jumps out the window, and Iggy enters the room Fang is in.

Again, what the hell?

**Talon's POV**

Max is leaning against a tree, crying.

This is the first time I've ever seen her cry.

"Max, Max? Are you okay? We have to sort of leave now." She just sobs louder.

"Fang... Fang is gone," she gasps. She burst out into tears again.

"But Fang's still here, Max," I soothe her. "He'll forgive you." She glares at me through her tears.

"You don't get it," she wails. "He's gone, he's gone, he's gone he's gone he's gone he's gone!" She starts crying hysterically now. She slips off the tree and trembles as she curls up at the base.

"Why did I have to mess up?" she moans. "What have I done?"

"You've done nothing but good," I say firmly. It's time to go now, Max." She sobs some more, but they're quieter now, and she manages to get up, still shaking with grief.

**Iggy's POV**

"I don't need support," Fang growls.

"Dude, chill, that's not what I'm here for," I say, backing away slightly. "Just... what happened?"

"I threw a punch at her," he says flatly. "And she hates me. I hate her. We're done. That's what she said."

"Fang-"

"Shut up. Sorry, but I don't want to talk right now," he snarls. I start to quietly exit the room.

"Get out. Quicker. And now. We'll fly soon. Just wait for me to cool down." I quickly scamper out, but not fast enough to miss Fang bang his head against the wall where he punched.

**Talon's POV**

Iggy and I are flying together again, and it's amazing what the wind can do to you.

Unfortunately, it can't mend broken hearts. Fang and Max are giving each other the silent treatment, Fang not talking at all, and Max speaking as little as she can while she is leader. Angel flies beside Max, and I think she's the only one who can speak to Max and she will listen.

Gazzy and Nudge are still arguing, shooting glances at us.

Dylan and Ella are trying to pry at Max about something, but she's definitely not interested.

"It's like as if we're falling apart while we're together," Iggy observes sadly.

"But we'll pull through. We're a family, remember? All families have fights."

"All families have death. All families have divorce, too."

"Not all of them." He looks disdainfully at me.

"Sorry, all this is getting to my head. Where are we heading?"

"I think Denver," I say carefully. "Base 2 is there. Oh, yeah, it's also a connection to Base 1 and 3, so we could knock out three birds with one stone."

"You mean three bases with one bomb," he grins.

"Yes, in our sadist ways," I say seriously. He chuckles a bit, looks at me. His eyes are the colour of the sky, I feel like I'm flying inside them. Carefree, mischievous, yet caring for his loved ones.

I think that's about the time when I realize I love him.

**Me: *sigh* Finally! Fang is done from his spazz attack!**

**AA Max: Is there an Epipen or something for that?**

**AA Fang: Yup. It's called rehab.**

**PB Max: It's Saturday, right?**

**PB Fang: *gets up, still asleep, sing-song voice* IT'S FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAAAAAY!**

**PB Max: Ugh, I HATE THAT SONG!**

**AA Fang: MY HAND IS A DOLPHIN!~ **

**AA Max: WE ARE ALL RUSSIAN!~ *cackling***

**Me: Oh no, you guys all were spying on me as I watched Brock's Dub Rebecca Black Friday on YouTube, weren't you?**

**AA Fang: Maybe...**

**AA Max: UNDERAGED DRIVING SUCKS! REMEMBER KIDS!**

**AA Fang: Oops.**

**Me: My thoughts exactly.**


	16. Chapter 16: Cookie Shopping!

**Chapter 16**

**Reviewer of the Week: XxDDxX - Because of OUR DOUBLE POWERS! HIYAAAAAAAAAH~!**

**Other Reviewers:**

**CISV (Change to Guatemalan Chili, please!) - PLEASE?**

**PurpleTea88 - PEN NAME OF GREATNESS**

**BrokeNCYDE114MaximumRide - A LONG NAME**

**Nixie Rayne - GUESSER GALORE**

**Dropitlowgurl1 - Remember, TRAGEDY**

**Disclaimer: FOR THE LOVE OF COOKIES, I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE! **

**Me: Cookies. **

**AA Fang: Taste.**

**AA Max: Good.**

**PB Fang: With.**

**PB Max: Marshmallows.**

**Me: And.**

**AA Fang: Chocolate.**

**AA Max: SMORES~!**

**Me: C'mon, you just broke our chain.**

**AA Max: Cannot help, must take a break for those DELICIOUS The Decadent Ice Cream Sandwiches!**

**AA Fang: I get firsts on RealLemon lemonade!~**

**PB Fang: *mauls refridgerator* NO! Must get frozen bananas with chocolate!**

**Me: Jeez, it's only lunch, not war.**

**PB Max: *yawns* Did you know I found a song that's worse than Friday?**

**Me: IT'S THE APOCALYPSE! HURRY, WHERE IS THE SINNER OF MUSIC? IF MUSIC GETS HIT WITH ANOTHER RB SONG, I DON'T THINK IT'LL SURVIVE!**

**AA Max: I think she's talking about 2010's "My Jeans" by Jenna Rose.**

**AA Fang: The apocalypse, war, hunger, love - nope, only her cool designer jeans matter to Jenna Rose. She wakes up screaming. I think she's a little... deranged in the head.**

**PB Fang: Why is it that all the songs I like are hated by 190323290742023437320 other polar bears or people? 'CAUSE IT'S FRIDAY FRIDAY GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!**

**Me: Sing and I'll throw you down Lake Ontario, or stop singing and get out of the room. **

**PB Fang: *exits***

**AA Max: *munches hungrily on everything she can find***

**Me: You AAs are gonna eat me out of house and home!**

**AA Fang: *mouth full of food* I gueshhhh. But sheese Sheetos tatssh delishhhhhhoushshhhsh.**

**PB Max: Not the best day for you, huh?**

**Me: *exploding* NO! NOT AT ALL! FANG IS OBSESSED WITH "FRIDAY", "MY JEANS" SUCKS, YOU GUYS ATE ALL MY COOKIES, AND I HAVE WRITER'S BLOCK!~**

**Chapter 16**

**Max's POV**

I.

Am.

Not.

Talking.

To.

Him.

**Fang's POV**

I.

Am.

Not.

Talking.

To.

Her.

**Angel's POV**

**Angel:** _Max, Max, please listen -_

**Max: **_He's not worth it._

**Angel: **_He still loves you._

**Max: **_That's where you're wrong. He's turned me into this bitter harpy._

**Angel: **_Max..._

**Max: **_Sorry, Angel, just please get out of my head._

**Angel: **_I can't. I can't let you let down the flock like this._

**Max: **_Not happening._

**Angel: **_ Max, Fang - _

**Max: **_Number one, don't you dare say His name. Number two, GET OUT._

Well, that didn't work out. I was hoping that Max could be persuaded, but it takes a lot for Max to trust someone, never mind forgive them. She's a great leader, with a bit of a skewed perspective on things that can help her out in some situations, but most of the time... not really.

I'll pry at Fang. He's less straightforward, so I'll have more time to persuade him.

**Angel: **_Fang, about Max -_

**Fang: **_I'm not talking to Her or about Her._

**Angel: **_But -_

**Fang: **_No buts. She hates me. It's not like this can fix overnight, Angel. I know she's hurt, and I'm hurt too._

**Angel: **_Like an injury. But if you guys heal quick with external injuries, maybe your internal will fix up fast also._

**Fang: **_Angel, what is the worst pain you've ever felt?_

**Angel: **_Getting electrocuted and slammed against walls, breaking a leg and an arm._

**Fang: **_Feel that times a thousand. That's what heartbreak feels like._

**Angel: **_..._

A lot of people think that Fang is quiet. And that's true - he's silent and strong. A deadly killer. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't have thoughts that can change peoples lives.

**Iggy's POV**

Denver.

Bases 1, 2, and 3 are connected, and our Boom Team can destroy everything easily.

For now, we're trying to book a room. Make that a few rooms.

"Look, we have enough for at least four or something," argues Max with the cheap motel manager.

"No can do, you're sixteen cents short," says the manager, looking bored. Wow, this guy drives hard bargains. "Take it or leave it."

"We have nine people," she snarls. "Four rooms with two beds."

"Wait, where does the last person go?" I ask, confused. She glares at me with a "NOT-HELPING" look on her face.

"They take watch."

"Sorry, the best I can do is three rooms with two beds, and one room with one bed," he says. "You're still short four cents, but this is the best bargain I can give you."

Dirty looks all around from the flock.

"Are you jokin - "

"Take it or leave it."

"Fine," she confirms. "Fine." She slides the money to the motel manager. We had a stop at an ATM machine, only to find we're short on money. We're basically giving everything we have now.

We walk upstairs, our rooms all on the second floor.

"2003, 2004, 2005, 2006," Max reads off. "Alright. Right next to each other. Perfect."

"Who's gonna - "

"One person in the one bed room will have to sleep on a chair or couch or something," Max growls. "We'll draw straws now."

We take some extra straws from McDonalds and Talon cuts some of them short. I can literally feel the tension in the hall.

"I got one of the shorter ones," says Ella worriedly.

"I've got shorter than you," assures Talon. "And Dylan's taking watch, right?"

"I think I got shortest," I laugh, pointing at the stub in my hand.

"Okay, we got the pairings - Ella and I, Fang and Gazzy, Angel and Nudge, and finally Talon and Iggy. Dylan will take watch tonight," confirms Max. Worried glances travel around the flock. Obviously, Angel's mind talking with Max or Fang did not go well.

"Actually, can I take watch with Dylan? " Ella asks. Max yawns.

"No prob. More room for me," she says, amused.

"Max, can I sleep in your room?" asks Angel sweetly.

"Why...?" Max asks questioningly.

"Maybe because your room has a mini-fridge with free stuff inside?" Angel's eyes are getting wider.

"You know this because...?"

"The manager hoped you wouldn't find the mini-fridge, it's in a closet hidden door." Now the Bambi eyes.

"Okay," she admits. "You can sleep in the empty one. But only because you helped me find the mini-fridge." Gazzy groans, a jealous look crossing his face.

"Here's your key." Max hands me a weathered, rusty old key with a faded "2006" next to it.

"Hey, roomie, I'll take the couch," I proffer to Talon.

"Oh, don't you dare be so "manly"," Talon complains. "I'll sleep on the couch."

"Whatever, just being a _gentleman_," I snort.

"Gentleman, pssshhht," she retorts.

_Fast Forward_

"G'night," I mumble. The bed isn't too small, but it would be _really _awkward if we slept together.

"Good night," she replies, yawning.

**Nudge's POV**

Well, all alone, good or bad I can't tell.

What I can tell is that I am definitely winning a hundred bucks from Gazzy.

_Crack!_

What the hell is that?

_Creak..._

I grab the closest sharp thing near me - a lamp.

"Nudge!"

I swing, startled at the sound, and I almost hit the wall and -

_Clink._

"Jeez, Nudge, are you afraid of the dark or something?"

"Who. Are. You?" I ask, in my deadliest voice possible.

"Jake."

"This is supposed to give me incentive not to smack you in the head because..."

"I'm the Gen77 dude you wrestled."

"Well, why the hell are you here? Get out before I - "

"Why are you trying to save me from sure death?" he asks smugly.

"Because I have a soft side. And you need to get out, because our leader doesn't."

"Whatever. Why didn't you see me outside the window?"

"I can't see _anything _at night," I admit.

"Aw, are you scared?" he teases.

"Why are you here?" I ask, now sounding more annoyed than ever.

"Because I feel like it," he says cheekily.

"Get. Out."

"You won't kick me out there!"

"Yes, in fact, I will kick your butt to the farthest zip code I can find."

"It's freezing! Okay, fine," he says, letting in. "I'm here because you blew up my base, and I am probably the last person alive from Base 4. And I need a place to stay."

"GO!" I shriek. My shriek sends him stumbling - right out the open window.

_Flap!_

"And don't come back!" I yell out.

"Oh, I _will _come back!" he yells back, flapping his gorgeous chestnut wings in the air. "I _will_!"

**Talon's POV**

I wake up shivering. The couch has some blankets, but it still isn't nearly warm enough. It's spring, but the nights are still chilly, especially when the window right BESIDE you can't close properly.

_Creak..._

I tip-toe down to Iggy's bed. The cheap digital clock reads 3:00 AM.

"Iggy..." I whisper, teeth chattering.

"Hmmmm?" he asks waking up.

He touches my hand, and tingles run through my arm.

"Talon? You better take the bed, god, you're freezing," he says worriedly.

"Can I come in?" I ask drowsily. He yawns and pulls me in under the sheets.

"Mmm... you're so warm..." I mumble. I rest my head against his chest, and he wraps his arms around me. Our legs twine together. Bliss.

**Max's POV**

I miss Fang.

I miss his breath against my cheek.

I miss his soft snoring at night.

I miss the way he plays with my hand or hair.

I miss the way he makes me feel.

Secure. Planted. Loved.

But now I feel so...

Alone. Terrified. Shaken.

Fang is the one who keeps me alive.

**Fang's POV**

I need Max.

I need her tinkling laughter.

I need her soft and gentle voice, sometimes raucous.

I need the way she shushes the flock when things go wrong.

I need her soft lips, planted against mine.

Max is practically everything I need and want to live for.

**Nudge's POV**

_Fast forward_

No.

Freaking.

Way.

That Bastard!

Yes, with a capital B.

Jake had snuck in at night and slept in the other bed.

Oh, he is IN for it.

Wait...

This. May. Be. Fun.

I snatch a dirty towel, and soak it with water until it is dripping wet.

_SLAP!_

"What? What? What the hell?~" Jake shouts, waking up. He whips his head like a dog, crystal droplets flying off. I can't control my laughter, I just laugh and laugh.

_SLAP!_

"Hey, QUIT IT!" he yelps. He tries to shield his face with his arms.

_WHOOSH!_

Jake grabs his pillow and tries to hit me with it. Squealing, I wave my towel crazily, until I accidently let go and the towel hits him square in the face.

Even with Jake trying to hit me with a pillow, I couldn't help rolling on the floor laughing like a crazy psychopath.

"Nudge! Nudge? What the hell are you _doing _ in there!" I hear a voice.

The I-am-definitely-NOT-a-morning-person voice.

The Max Voice.

"Jake! Get the hell out!" I hiss. "She's gonna pulverize you into ground meat!" Panicking a bit now, Jake literally jumps out the window, unfurling his powerful chestnut wing stance.

Max bursts in just about this time.

"Nudge! Holy crap, this place looks like it's been hit by a tornado! Or... a Nudge!" she shouts.

"..." Suspicious look from Max.

"You did not do this by yourself. I swear I could hear a guy's voice in here..."

"What are you talking about?" I ask too quickly. Damn, I messed that up.

"That just proves my point," she wails. "Who was it? And-And... did he spend the night in - " Realization draws across face.

"Who. Was. The. Guy," she snarls.

"There was NO GUY!" I try and deny it. Works... not.

"IT'S OBVIOUS THERE WAS A GUY!" she shrieks.

"NO GUY!"

"YES GUY!"

"NO GUY!"

"YES GUY!"

"NO GUY!"

"YES GUY!"

"YES GUY!"

"NO GUY - I mean, CRAP!" Max shrieks.

"You said so yourself," I say briskly. Maybe she'll be too upset with herself, she'll forget to use logic. "Let's go."

"But nothing-nothing happened... that you would regret?" Max starts.

"MAX!" I yell. "NO GUY! NOTHING! ZILCH! ZERO! NADA!"

"Let's go," she mutters, obviously frustrated that she lost my argument. Not only that, but her boyfriend's dumped her, her sister ran off with a traitor, the traitor was part of the flock, she's got mutated wings, she has to save the freaking world form a stupid band called the Doomsday Group of Gen 77s, Iggy's gone starstruck, Talon's no better, Gazzy's being whiny, and I am denying that Jake ever existed.

Damn, life's hard.

**Me: I promised every WEDNESDAY if I'm sick THURSDAY! However, this means that chapters will be substantially shorter. But my editor, CISV, wants me to set goals for myself, and besides, who doesn't like regular updates? **

**PB Max: I need a cookie.**

**Me: Patience, AA Max will return from cookie shopping soon.**

**PB Fang: I NEED A COOKIE! *laughs and cries at the same time hysterically* **

**Me: *brings out Polar Bear Epipen* **

**PB Fang: *stuttering* I mean, may I please have a cookie?**

**Me: Later. Would you like an orange? And a nice one, too. *pulls out orange***

**PB Max: What the heck is an orange?**

**PB Fang: Wait... I think I saw those in Florida SOMEWHERE...**

**PB Fang: Is that what oranges look like? I didn't know they'd be orange...**

**Me: *shakes head sadly***

**PB Max: WELCOME TO: LET'S TEST FANG'S INTELLIGENCE! SPECIAL EDITION THIS TIME ONLY!**

**PB Max: Let's test Fang's intelligence!**

**PB Fang: Yay!**

**PB Max: Okay, negative one points already.**

**PB Fang: Yay!**

**PB Max: Negative two.**

**PB Fang: The numbers are getting bigger, right?**

**PB Max: Negative three. First problem: You see there are several different groups in the world, but - **

**PB Fang: Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me! ME!**

**PB Max: Negative four. Yes?**

**PB Fang: You see, there are THREE groups in the world, actually, those who can count and those who can't.**

**PB Max: No comment. Negative five. Second problem: Finish this sentence: Life is too short to _.**

**PB Fang: DING! BUZZ!**

**PB Max: Negative six.**

**PB Fang: I got it! Eureka! LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO BE ENSLAVED BY PANTS!**

**PB Max: That's it. I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS CRAZY JOB! *throws down cards and leaves***

**PB Fang: Good, another therapist down. Did you ever notice this: THErapist. I know. Wrong. THAT IS WHY I DO NOT LIKE THERAPISTS!**


	17. Chapter 17: Birth Secrets

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: THIS IS AN AUTOMATED MESSAGE. I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE. I REPEAT, I DO NOT OWN MAXIMUM RIDE. *sputters* %#^! Why did I have to buy that from a cheap retail store? *bzrrt***

**Reviewer of the Week: GUATEMALAN CHILI!**

**Other Reviewers:**

**Nixie Rayne - God Guesser **

**xXxFoolishYoungAndInLoveXxX - THANK YOU! THANK YOU! NO MORE LONG NAMES!~**

**XxDDxX - Obsession of X's**

**candycanelover - STRIPES!**

**Dropitlowgurl1 - PLEASE UPDATE! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!**

**PurpleTea88 - I think she's gone now. Gone... with the wind...**

**Me: I think I'm going delirious...**

**PB Max: Shoot me. Just shoot me now...**

**PB Fang: No. Freaking. Way.**

**AA Max: Stop...**

**AA Fang: *laughs hysterically* NANETY-PHOUR COOKIESH! BOOSH-YASH!**

**Me: You broke my record, you greedy little... American-Avian!**

**AA Max: Ninety-four. Ninety-four. Ninety-four. Ninety-four. Ninety-four. Ninety-four...**

**PB Fang: Breathe deeply... better yet, dive into a frozen lake.**

**PB Max: Get those out of your too-big mouth. You're salivating over Squiggly.**

**PB Fang: Ha! You still keep your little stuffed snake?**

**PB Max: This comes from someone who has over sixty stuffies in his room that are ALL wolves. Or Huskies.**

**PB Fang: I'm a collector.**

**PB Max: Yeah, and YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO COUNT.**

**PB Fang: SURE I DO! See, there are four... um... accompaniments here! One, two, three, four! *looks triumphant***

**PB Max: Maybe you forgot someone.**

**PB Fang: Who?**

**PB Max: Maybe Fang.**

**PB Fang: But I counted Fang... one, two, three, four... *looks uneasy***

**PB Max: Maybe Fang.**

**PB Fang: I COUNTED FANG!**

**PB Max: Maybe Fang. *grinning***

**PB Fang: *steamed* Whatever, on with the show, all that nonsense.**

**Iggy's POV**

I yawn, some weak sunlight peeking through our window... wait, wha... Talon... last night... oh, God, if Max finds out about this...

"Iggy! Talon!" Max calls. "Sleepyheads! Lazybones! Get up!

"Talon!" I hiss. "Wake up!"

Talon yawns at my voice. "Wassup? Wait, what the..."

"GetoutbeforeMaxseesus," I whisper, blurring the words a bit out of urgency.

"Iggy? Talon? You awake in there?"

Talon jumps out, eyes flaring, and runs out into the bathroom, pretending to brush her hair.

I grab my jeans and t-shirt, and jump out, opening the door. Oops, there's a cheesy smile on my face.

"Iggy... exactly _why do you have an evil smile on your face_?" Max asks.

"Er... uh..."

"Where's Talon?" Max demands. Easy answer.

"In the bathroom." She relaxes. Whew.

"Well, you guys are late. Hurry up, before the rest of us leave," she says tiredly.

"See ya," I say, a little sympathetically. Being a leader must be really taking its toll.

**Talon's POV**

While I "brush my hair" I can't stop thinking about Iggy.

I hope we didn't do anything stupid last night.

"Talon? Are you okay?" Iggy worrisome voice floats through the door.

"Maybe. What the heck happened last night?" I ask, voice tense.

"No idea. I don't remember." He tosses his answer out the window.

"Iggy, this is important..." I say sternly.

"No, I'm _pretty_ sure we didn't do anything like _that_," he assures me. "I think. Maybe. Possibly. Considering our logic against our hormones, a good chance."

"Well, that makes me feel SO much better," I say sarcastically.

"Whatever. You smell nice. A little like raspberries."

"Iggy, get your perverted, sexist thoughts out of this bathroom." I can't see him, but I know he's grinning.

"Alright, I'll _try _and keep my hard stuff in my jeans." I gag, probably because I'm trying to brush my teeth at the time.

"Get. Out!" I order him. Quiet laughter.

"I could get you arrested for sexual harassment!" I yell. More laughter.

"I could get you arrested for threats!"

"I could get you arrested for public indecency!"

"I could get you arrested for - "

"Guys! STOP ARGUING AND GET YOURSELVES OUT OF THERE BEFORE I - "

"Coming!~" I call.

**Max's POV**

Jeez, I need a real break from leadering. If that's a word. I just feel cold all over, and fatigued all the time. I don't know if this is a sickness or what, but maybe it's because of the withdrawal of Fang.

I couldn't sleep last night at _all_. I just felt guilty, and missed him, and stared up at the ceiling, unable to hear or feel his snoring or breathing or his voice or his presence. In fact, I'd been so depressed, I retched a bit at night.

"I could get you arrested for sexual harassment!"

"I could get you arrested for threats!"

"I could get you arrested for public indecency!"

"I could get you arrested for - "

"Guys! STOP ARGUING AND GET YOURSELVES OUT OF THERE BEFORE I - " I yell, before I explode.

"Coming!~" I groan. This is really too much for me. I need a break. But since Base 2 is _so close_...

"To Denver!" Iggy yells, running out of the room. Talon calmly follows, trying to get him to settle down.

"Igs, Max is obviously not having a good day..."

"We're going to go to Denver. It's just a ten-minute fly away. Talon, Iggy, Gazzy. You three find a map, describe it to us, and then get into the air ducts or something. I heard this Base is really an office building, with a hidden science basement. Anyways, _Fang_, Nudge, and Angel will be ready for anything. Dylan, Ella, and _I_ will be the secondary squad. Let's go." I don't say this in my usual angry, frustrated, annoyed, or sarcastic way. Just solemn, to the point, and just... just... gloomy.

And everybody notices that I emphasized that Fang and I are not in the same group.

**Fang's POV**

She sounds so depressed. Without feeling. No emotion. Just a leader. Because that's all she can be right now.

I don't even think that she can be consistent with being a leader anymore. It takes _all her willpower _just to drag herself out of bed in the morning.

Internally, I moan and clutch my head in my hands. Unfortunately, I can't do this for two reasons: one, I'm flying, and two, everybody will look at me. I'm a rock. Sturdy, stable, emotionless. But seeing Max like this has shattered me to a billion pieces.

**Angel's POV**

I hope I don't have to live through one of Fang's dreams again. Unfortunately, I can't easily snap out of dream as easily as I can get into one - more like forced into one.

Sure, Fang might have his fantasies about Max, but last night was the worst - I should probably not get into the details.

Well, first, they were like, in a bed, and then Fang and Max were like, doing something, and then Max -

Never mind.

**Max's POV**

Finally! These were the longest ten minutes of my life. I've got a pounding headache, and feel so cold...

"Let's split up," I suggest. We do so smoothly, months of practicing of air rolls and swings.

"Team 1. Get down there, find a map. This is not a cement factory - in fact, I think this is a recycling plant."

"The last thing I would think the Psychotics would be doing is trying to save the environment," Talon snorts.

"I bet they've got chemicals in there that we've never experimented with," Iggy says excitedly.

"Boom Team. Down. Now. Find an entrance, okay?"

"Will do, Drill Sarge," says Talon dryly. With a flick of her wing, she falls steadily and then lightly flaps her wings to slow down a bit for landing.

"Team 2. That's anyone in my group. We'll hide behind the little crevice in the part over there," I say, pointing to a small door at the right. "It's painted orange - why would anyone in the right mind would paint it orange, I don't know. But it's there."

And we're off.

**Iggy's POV**

Talon had found an entrance almost immediately, a small manhole in the ground.

"Underground freaks me out," she admits, "but it's the only way to get in from this side."

We drop in, careful to hold on to the slimy ladder.

"Blech, this stuff is gross," Gazzy complains.

"Maybe it's explosive," I suggest. That makes Gazzy brighten a bit.

"It's true we have no idea what this stuff is. But I got another tri-glass in here - it's empty. Just an extra. I'll pop some of this slime in."

Talon takes a sample, making a face, and we explore a bit.

"Okay, I think we have to go to the right," I say, thinking aloud. "Then we turn just about left and a little to the right again, that should take us underneath the factory nicely."

"Didn't you say this was connected to the other Bases underground, too?" Talon asks.

"Sure is. But they're a distance apart, so let's blow this one up first - luckily, I think this slime is explosive."

"Cool!" Gazzy exclaims. "Let's go!"

Darkness engulfs us as we go along, and we have to be careful not to slip into the disgustingly brown-green water. The cement is definitely not helping, as it has no traction.

"Maybe we can turn left no - " I start, but a piercing ache hits my head.

"Ow! Who hit me?" I ask angrily.

"Nobody," Talon says, puzzled.

Another pierce of pain, this time more in my brain, kind of.

"I think I'm having a migraine or something," I groan.

"Igs, do you think you'll be okay?" Another ache. But this one isn't as bad.

"Just...a... second," I say weakly. Ow. Another. Again, weaker.

Damn, I screwed up.

**Talon's POV**

After about two minutes of sitting in the dark, I checking Iggy's head for injury, saying there's none, we go along further... darker and darker. I wish I could see in this darkness.

"Whoah!" Iggy cries. The cry startles me, almost throwing me over the edge into the murky water.

"What is it?" I ask, panicking a bit.

"I can see in the dark!" he practically yells. "I have night-vision! Like, extreme night-vision!"

"That's cool Iggy, but that won't help us if you keep on screaming and we get caught," Gazzy groans.

"And... now I can switch to heat vision!" he says excitedly, keeping his voice down now. "Wow... and now x-ray vision!"

"That's _so_ cool! I think they modified your eyes when you got your sight back!" I whisper-yell.

"Lead the way!"

**Fang's POV**

"Move right from the orange door entrance, then go as far as you can - then attack the electrical system for our advantage. Move back, and at the second hallway from there, get into the first room on your left. Over."

"Got it. Over and out." I hear Max's weary voice on the other end.

I gather Nudge and Angel, and we sneak through the lit corridors of the recycling plant. Door after door, we can't seem to find any mutants. And the place is so eerily quiet, it's freaking me out.

"Nudge. Open this door - it's locked."

"I'll try." Nudge desperately tries moving the insides of the lock using her magnetic powers. Unfortunately, it takes her about six tries, until - _click._ The sweet sound of victory.

"Check what's inside, Angel," I suggest. "We don't want to get caught off guard."

"Let me see..."

_BZZRT! _

All of a sudden, the lights go out, and I know that Max has succeeded. Good. This means that we can easily slip into electronically locked doors, and it's easier to hide than find in a dark place. However, this alerts many mutants, and I can hear uneasy murmurs down the hallway.

"Get in!" Angel hisses. "We're being discovered!"

I open the doorknob _quietly_, and peek in. It looks like a supply room of some sort. Before I have a choice, I'm pushed in by Nudge and Angel.

"Quick! They'll fin - "

The lights in the room suddenly flicker on. How...?

"Welcome. Nice to see me again, no?"

The Director's office.

**Iggy's POV**

"Okay, now, the one in your left hand is yellow. The one in your right is red. Put the red one, in your right, into the farthest socket you can find - I'll tell you if something's wrong," I say patiently.

"Got it!" Gazzy says triumphantly.

"Okay, last one now. Put the yellow, in your left, into the last socket - I'll guide your hand." The reason why I couldn't just do it was because my hands are a little too big for a bomb this small. Talon's working on a second one, deftly able to put things together in the dark.

"Yes!" Gazzy pumps his arm in the air. "Where's the detonator?"

"Here. But we need to warn the rest of the flock. I'll connect to them," I assure him.

"Iggy, I have a bad feeling about something," Talon says uneasily. "I'm done, but I think I can hear voices down there..."

_FLASH!_

"Run!" Gazzy whisper-yells. "It's a flashlight!"

I look around desperately, my night-vision working well... there!

"Hold my hand," I say gruffly, and we run, faster and faster, until -

"Jump!" I whisper.

"Across?" Talon asks.

"Don't drown!" Gazzy says.

"3...2...1... JUMP!" we yell quietly together.

_CLICK._

Our sneakers make a weird sound on the slime-covered asphalt. We scramble for it now, a ladder that's right in front of us, leading up. The voices are getting louder.

"We have no choice! Climb!" Talon yelps.

Rung after rung, I reach for the top. Gazzy almost slips on the ladder above me, crying out by mistake.

"Hey! There they are!" Shouting. Footsteps.

Silence.

_SCREAM!_

Talon screams.

Someone's got her foot.

"Talon! Grab on!" I yell. I fumble for the smoke bombs in my pocket.

"Iggy!" Talon is deperately holding on to my leg, and I think I'm going to fall on her and into the water. I finally find the black-as-night smoke bombs, and throw at least five or so down, even when two could have done the job.

_PSSSHHHH!_

Gazzy's new and improved smoke bombs does the trick - he had added in the slightest bit of tear gas, and the smoke seems to clump around more, like patchy fog.

"GO!" Talon yells. We scramble up as far as we can, then I grunt as I try and lift an opening door in the ceiling.

"One, two, THREE!" Gazzy, Talon and I all push at the same time.

_Pop!_

"Up, UP, _UP_!" I yell. "Go! GO!"

I help Gazzy up with my hand, Talon uses her talons to get up by herself.

Click.

The doorway snaps shut. Gazzy sits on it, just in case.

"Nice of you to join us."

**Max's POV**

We're all here. They had somehow set us up, knowing our movements and our thoughts. How...?

After Dylan and Ella had broken through the orange door, we had found the electricity generator and we smashed it to rubble. I don't even think a scrap metal dump would want the stuff.

Unfortunately, when Fang radioed us in, saying that they were in trouble, to come secretly, I had taken a wrong turn in the building.

Getting chased by lizard-snake women, smashing through what seemed like a sixteen layer wall, and falling into the Director's office is not my idea of success.

And now that the Boom Team is here, that's all of us.

"I thought you would be smarter, Max," the Director clucks. "Jake, from Base 4, told us about your attack movements. Too easy. And just to make it even easier, he snuck in at night, and connected trackers onto Nudge here."

What eerily strikes me is how the Director calls us by our names so casually. Every other scientist says, "subject" or "experiment".

"Nudge, I thought you said there was no guy in your room!"

"I didn't know he was there! Honestly!" Nudge defends herself, but she blushes. Caught.

"Settle down now, you two," the Director smirks.

I swerve to Dylan and Ella. "You guys were supposed to be watching!"

"We were... uh... busy," Dylan mumbles. I groan.

"What did you do? Tell me now," I demand.

"Stuff you don't want younger kids to hear about," he murmurs.

"You were on watch!"

"Now, now, Max. That isn't the way you treat your brother."

**Fang's POV**

_What? Dylan's her brother?_

"That's... what?" Max asks, confused. Just like that. Raging angry to simply disoriented.

"But...Ella's my sister. They're blood related."

"Wrong again," the Director says gleefully. "Dylan is Ms. Martinez's son. You are her daughter. Talon is your sister. Ella is my daughter."

"But how...?"

"Talon and Ella had the same father," Director says harshly. "James Martinez. This is why they look so similar. We told you we cloned Ella, but that is not true. Ms. Martinez and I traded daughters for a while. We froze Talon as an embryo, and injected growth and intelligence into her once the Generation 77 began to rise."

"But you said that she was... was the perfect match for Fang." Max swallows.

"We messed up," the Director confesses. "One of our workers took the wrong file - in fact, Iggy's file. After altering her genes to be Iggy's perfect fit by mistake, we considered her very worthless. Easily disposable."

Talon grows a bit pale.

"All of you are disposable. Nothing. Get rid of them now."

And the two robots at the end of the room get closer.

**Me: No time! Must go! Byeeeeeeeeeee!**


	18. Chapter 17 12:

THIS IS GUATEMALAN CHILI SPEAKING.

I have some sad news. Love my writing or else's computer broke, so she won't be able to update for a few days. I'm sorry that this happened, but it really was expected. Her computer is REALLY OLD. Like REALLY OLD. But hope fully by Friday it will be up and running. Let's cross are fingers everybody, and hope we don't die from anticipation.


	19. Chapter 18: I'm BACK!

**Chapter 18**

**Disclaimer: ME LOVIES MAXIMUM RIDE BUT ME NOT HAVE SERIES. ME KNOW NOT WHY I SPEAK LIKE THIS. ME HAPPY. THIS FUN.**

**Reviewer of the Week: xXxFoolishYoungAndInLoveXxX ~ Because you are a regular reviewer that is not Guatemalan Chili!**

**Other Reviewers:**

**Guatemalan Chili - Chili for the win!**

**Nixie Rayne - No! I have lost my guesser!**

**PurpleTea88 - No! I have lost an amazing pen name writer!**

**candycanelover - No! I have lost a candy cane lover!**

**Dropitlowgurl1 - Low, low, low, low, low...**

**XxDDxX - United we stand... as Deannas.**

**lilypad2 - Hey n00b! Welcome to the world of polar bears.**

**LMWOE: **_***LMWOE has entered the chat room***_

**BlackFurredGreatness: Hey, :D**

**LMWOE: :O You guys are on this secret chat room I set up?**

**WhatAreOranges?: Easy, found it in your drawer. '_'**

**LMWOE: :-O You went through my stuff?**

**WingedDevilOfSarcasm: You mean Fang went through your stuff.**

**PunkOfDarkness: Gasp. A double-crosser.**

**LMWOE: What is it with your names? -_- Whatever, they all fit you.**

**ACookieTasterBillionaire: **_***ACookieTasterBillionaire has entered the chat room***_

**LMWOE: Now who's this? #_#**

**ACookieTasterBillionaire: It's... uh... y'know, Guatemalan Chili. Your editor.**

**LMWOE: Get the guys out of here. They'll spoil our discussion on the next chapters.**

**BlackFurredGreatness: YOU CAN'T MAKE US! YOU DON'T HAVE AN EPIPEN THIS TIME! :D**

**WhatAreOranges?: Come pick us up at the Snow Doughnut. Fang's had too many Arctic Blitz Sugar Smoothies.**

**LMWOE: What? I told him not to drink those. He'll be crazy, then passed out cold.**

**BlackFurredGreatness: HGH8IIN0WOG'PIHO;oihhohga;;egkia80wo4i!9a9gr90[44808){($**

**LMWOE: ?**

**WhatAreOranges?: I think he's sleeping on his Polar Size laptop now.**

**LMWOE: I'll come get him in a few minutes. :-(**

**PunkOfDarkness: Gotta go, Max's waiting for me... :D**

**LMWOE: Can we keep this PG-rated?**

**PunkOfDarkness: **_***PunkOfDarkness has left the chat room***_

**WingedDevilOfSarcasm: BTW, he tastes like raspberries, not peaches or anything. So put that in. Definitely raspberries. :D**

**LMWOE: o_O**

**WingedDevilOfSarcasm: **_***WingedDevilOfSarcasm has left the chat room***_

**WhatAreOranges?: **_***WhatAreOranges? has left the chat room***_

**BlackFurredGreatness: **_***BlackFurredGreatness has left the chat room***_

**LMWOE: Finally, some peace...**

**TheWholeGroup: **_***TheWholeGroup has entered the chat room***_

**TheWholeGroup: YOU DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD LEAVE, DID YOU? Group :D**

**LMWOE: **_***LMWOE has left the chat room***_

**Max's POV **

I jump out of my seat in karate pose, smacking my knee into Iggy's ankle.

"Ow!" he yelps, but the Director looks witheringly at me. Dylan raises one eyebrow, but everyone else is starting to close up the gap in between.

"Maximum, I thought you'd be happy about this. As in, "the-anti-depressants-are-seeming-to-be-working" happy about this," she chuckles. Damn, she has the Gift Of Sharp Words too.

"What the hell is going on?" I demand.

"Did you really think you'd win?" she laughs. "Did you really think that we wouldn't splinter your miniscule flock under our crushing power? Do you not understand? We own FREAKING MCDONALD'S! WE HAVE TAKEN OVER, WHILE THOSE STUPID LITTLE HUMANS ARE MUTATING RIGHT NOW!" she yells.

I freeze. Paralysis has taken over my body, while the robot-machine-thingies almost seem to be sneering, their little clicks and whirrs mocking me, slicing gaping holes inside of my ego. Damn.

"You are dead. They are dead. Mutants FOREVER!" she laughs again, a crazy maniac laugh that rings in my ears, fake, fake, fake.

"We poisoned every television, electronic, and edible food system in the world," she hisses. "Except for Antarctica. We're cracking that, though."

"Aw, penguins too much for ya? Maybe you should bring out the bunny-mutants." I groan. The excess of laughter has taken over my brain a little. "Or maybe the unicorns?" Her nostrils flare a bit. Sure, she still looks like a lady, with a scowl and flared nostrils, but I was thinking more on the Care Bear side.

"That attitude..." she pauses, then laughs, a throaty, oh-you-are-in-so-much-trouble laugh. "Reminds me so much of Valencia." I glare at her, piercing laser eye treatment. Nope, she's got rock-solid armour.

"Four seconds," Iggy mutters as he is dragged a little by a robot past me. "Three. Two..."

"It's because of the - " she starts.

"ONE!" Talon screams.

And all hell breaks loose.

**Fang's POV**

_**BOOM!**_

Concrete and metal slash around me, smoke pouring from the ceilings, cracked and ready to collapse.

"No time! Run before the second one goes off! IN TEN SECONDS!" Talon yelps desperately. I feel like I can fly - I mean, I can, but while running on the ground.

"Wait!" Iggy yells. He starts punching hard at the ceiling. "This is the top floor! If we punch through this, we can boost ourselves to safety!"

_CRACK!_

The ceiling cracks open, and we are showered with white powdery dust. Max grabs the little ones, Gazzy and Angel, and we start to pound hard at the remaining bits.

"Go! GO!" We yell. Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, and Ella manage to fit through, because Ella is a little shorter and smaller than the rest of us.

"Dylan!" she wails. "Max! Fang! What's going to happen to you!"

"We'll get out!" I scream. I throw myself against the ceiling, bruising myself all over. A metal pipe clangs against my leg, bruising that too, but it mostly hits Max and I can tell she's trying to withhold the pain in her right arm.

_RIIIP! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!_

Dylan, in a desperate attempt to get at Ella, was ripping off the sides of the wall. He then tries to fit through, but gets stuck for a moment.

But that's all he needs.

**BOOM!**

**Iggy's POV**

My sides hurt like crazy, throat's dry from powder and dust. I open my wings carefully, as well as my bruised arms, and Talon rolls out and blinks a few times.

"Iggy!" she cries hoarsely. "Why the hell did you do that? Can you fly?" she probes me for broken bones, finds that I have none, but helps me up anyways. My sneakers are pure white, shuffling in the concrete mess.

"Water," I croak. She nods as well, unable to talk.

"Iggy! Talon! Dylan!" We hear Max's rasping voice from the ruins of giant stone.

"We!" I shout. "No Dylan!" Great, now I have speech problems.

"Fang where?"

"No Fang. No Dylan."

"We sound like cavemen," Talon manages to croak out. I laugh, but it turns into a hacking cough.

"Out of here, must find Fang," commands Max. "Ella search. Angel search."

"Max! Fang here. By red thing!" Angel calls. Max hurries over, desperately searches for signs of life. Her hair whistles through the ominous wind... death whispers through the gales, uneasiness squirming in the turmoil of our insides.

"Dylan?" I see Ella shaking Dylan's arm. "Dylan!" Tears slide down her face, leaving chalky gray streaks. The sorrow in her face slices through to my softer, more emotional side. She collapses, tiredness just overcoming her as well as pain and fear.

"Dylan, don't die!" she wails. "How can I take care of him all by myself?" What's she talking about? Dylan's body is chalky, but blood trickles down his sides, a deep wound in his neck and his head is at an awkward angle.

He turns his head, and winces, taking several tries to speak. "Ella, live without me... you are still who I love most," he croaks. "And - and make sure he knows about his father."

"Don't leave me here!" she sobs. Dylan holds her hand, intertwining his bloody fingers into hers. His once gleaming turquoise eyes fade until they're as pale as mine when they were blind, desperately trying to calm Ella. Finally, he then shuts them, the last image ever seen by him of Ella's chalky white face.

Ella sobs, and I swear time freezes solid. It is so silent, that we can hear Ella's tears gently dripping onto the concrete. She still holds his hand.

"I. I need to go with him.." she whispers unsteadily. Max, who has left Fang for now, helps Ella up, and pain reflects in her eyes too. He was her brother, all along.

"Ella? Who is... _he_?" she asks, but her words are dipped in sympathy and concern. Her soft, gentle voice reminds me of the way she used to talk to Fang sometimes, when they thought they were alone, when I couldn't sleep at night, and neither could them.

It also reminds me of Talon, although I have no idea whatsoever in the correlation.

"Dylan and I... we did something we regret," she concludes. "But... Flick came out of it. I am his mother."

"WHAT?"

**Fang's POV**

I wince, my crushed leg underneath a large steel bar. The pain travels through my arms, chest, head. It's unbearable.

"Fang! Fang, you'll be okay," Max says worriedly. Since when was she worried about me? She grunts a bit, strains, and manages to get the steel off of my leg. She sighs matter-of-factly and gets a mouthful of dust.

"Thanks," I mutter. "That was a slight discomfort." I hear Ella say something despairingly.

"What are flock leaders for?" she shoots back, harshly. She spits out the dust. We weren't even arguing, but her soft manner has disappeared, and she remembers our previous argument. Hell, if I didn't apologize, she would hold a grudge against me for twenty years if she felt like it.

Ella is sobbing, and I go dead silent for a moment. Max is making her way over, step by step. Her feet on the hard, crumbling ground makes no sound. A dead person's funeral.

If Ella's sobbing, then... Dylan's... dead.

"Ella, who is... _he_?" I hear Max's gentle voice wisp through Ella's body, wracked with pain.

"Dylan and I... we did something we regret," she concludes. "But... Flick came out of it. I am his mother."

"WHAT?" Iggy's sputters. I glare at him to be quiet. He looks embarrassed, and the slightest bit remorseful.

"I loved him. He loved me back. Oh, why did he have to die?" she wails like a wolf with a silver bullet through it's heart.

"We have to get going. Gazzy, Iggy, cover Dylan's body. Ella, you can do so as well," she says the last part quietly and Ella traces the features of his face.

"Fang and Talon, look for a motel on the ground," she says sharply. She shoots an apologetic glance at Talon, but a laser-glare at me.

"Nudge and I will somehow get us healed up and proper," I finish.

"Hey! I found a credit card!" Gazzy yelps. "And... another one! But this one... it looks like a key card to me," he says, frowning.

"Gazzy! What a great find! We can use the money for ourselves," she says. "Now, the sooner we get to a place to stay, the sooner we can get to the next Base." More than ever, she seems exhausted. Is it because I left her or...?

**Max's POV**

"Hey. I would like four rooms, please," I say nonchalantly. "Three with two beds, one with one."

"Alright," the boy at the counter says. "And by the way, if you need anything, I mean, ANYTHING, just press the blue button on the wall." He grins, flashing his teeth and flirting. God, I really don't need this.

"Yea. Okaaay. Alright, bye," I grumble. I need Mountain Dew. I think that is like, the only thing that has enough sugar for me. Or I could drink some Red Bull. Of course, that isn't setting a good example for the younger kids, but hey, a leader's gotta do what a leader's gotta do.

"You guys go. I'm going to go food shopping," I sigh.

"I'll go with you," Fang says quickly, desperately asking for forgiveness. I can tell. The golden flecks in his onyx eyes always grow darker when he tells the truth.

I glare at him. No way is he making up that easy. "No way. I need to think alone. Without disruption." I almost added, "Especially without you," but that's just cruel and Maximum Ride knows what mercy is and plans to use it once in a while.

**Max's POV (Again, fast-forward time...)**

I sip my ROCKST R sugar-free energy drink. Woo hoo. I am sharing a room with Ella, who mumbles in her sleep. What sucks about this energy drink is that I need the energy, but also the sleep. I don't know why this sudden sickness appeared. Maybe I ate something wrong... Ella mutters something obscene and throws a pillow across the room.

The ROCKST R is not helping my exhaustion. It's probably because of Fang, gone, stressing me out, and in truth, making me feel guilty. I guess I should apologize, but I'm not that type. It probably took a lot out of Fang's ego to actually _talk _to me today, much less asking forgiveness.

That feels slightly satisfying and slightly depressing at the same time.

_creak..._

I jump up, knocking down the chair, and strike an aggressive pose.

Just Fang.

_Whew..._

"Hey. Your door was unlocked. Just a click, and boom, it's open. Keep it safer next time. Don't want a bunch of karate unicorns come marching in," he says sarcastically. "Hiyah!" I chuckle under my breath.

"Better than that Director. Seriously, she looked like an angry Care Bear a bit," I scoff. He laughs, and his laughter almost melts away the ice between us. Almost. Not quite, I still can't feel the camaraderie bond just yet.

"Still angry?" he asks quietly. "If you are, ROCKST R is really, really bad for you. Stop drinking the stuff."

"I need the caffeine," I groan. "I'm so tired lately, it's like I've contracted a disease or something." He looks curious for a moment, that cute deep-thought look on his face. Damn, I really should shut up, because I'm supposed to be giving him the cold shoulder.

"Y'know, Iggy told me to tell you that he can see X-ray, heat, and better developed night-vision now," he says a little over-enthusiastically. "But, what I found interesting, is that he had a severe migraine before he got those powers. Do you think...?"

"Maybe," I answer flatly. "I mean, to be honest, I haven't noticed anything unusual." I sit up from the chair, and the room spins like crazy. Or maybe it's me. Okay, I guess the ROCKST R wasn't such a good idea...

"Hey, you okay?" he asks. He slaps himself in the face. Hilarious face-palm. "Of course you're not okay, you look like a drunken chipmunk. Okay, here, I'll get you to the bed." He lays his hand gently in mine and leads the way to my room.

"So. Feel different?" he asks again.

"Oh, how ironic," I snort. "You ask me that after I toddle around like a drunk."

"Okay. Sit down... now," he directs. The bed is probably plain, but it looks swirly to me.

"Okay..." I mumble incoherently. It's distracting when Fang holds my hand.

Suddenly, I collapse onto the ground. Ow.

"Max! Max! Max, are you okay? Okay, that was stupid of me," Fang shouts a little, worriedly.

_Illusion_

_"Don't worry. The girl has all she needs and all we need to destroy her. That pretty little cult of hers is great for ransom..." a tall, around six-foot six scientist trails off._

_"Easily done. Like sweeping away the trash," laughs a chubby one. His little bed-head cowlick wobbles as his fat does on his belly._

_"Don't you dawdle, you two," Care Bear says. And what's so surprising? I feel like I'm seeing through Care Bear's eyes._

_"Yes, Director, we will get to the Flame right away," the fat one says hurriedly, trying to please his superior._

_"Fool!" snarls CB (Care Bear). "The Flame will only be introduced once we've got her in our hands. Grindan, take him away and educate him, _please_." _

_"Priles, you idiot," Grindan grumbles. "Now our salaries will get reduced."_

_My vision flips around as CB turns into the long, dark hallway ahead of her._

_End of Illusion_

I gasp for breath, just barely taking in oxygen through my lungs. Fang has lain me across the bed, and has two glasses of water, a cold freezer pack, and an extra blanket.

"You have a fever," he says feebly. "And um, you passed out for about four hours now. I'll call for Iggy to tell the rest of them you're okay."

"I had a vision, Fang," I whisper. "I could see through Care Bear's eyes." Fang's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Really? What did you see?" he asks urgently. "Battle strategies? Mutant types? Unicorns?"

"No. She... she says she's going to kidnap every single one of the flock, and then ask for ransom from me... which would be my life." Fang seems a little more unnerved than before.

"And... finally... they said something about a Flame... I don't know what that is..."

"A Flame?" he echoes. "Do you think that has something to do with the prophecy that was told earlier?"

"But Dylan is dead," I say, agitated. "How will we heal the Flame?"

"I don't know... there's so much we have to deal with right now." He looks straight at me, those onyx eyes I haven't looked in for so long. At least, it feels long...

"So much _you _have to deal with..." I feel some magnet drawing us together, some kind of desire that makes me feel like I _need _Fang, like I couldn't bear to be cold and angry any longer. I've given in.

But I hole it up. I can't be sentimental right now. Besides for the fact that I have to save the freaking world, I also need to show Fang that if something's gonna get better, he's the one who'll have to start it.

"Yeah. So don't pressure me anymore, and be glad... yeah, see, I don't have a fever," I say flatly, testing my forehead. No fever at all. His eyes darken a bit, in anger or relief I can't tell.

"Well then, get better," he snaps. "I've got some stuff to deal with now." He whips around and stalks off, closing the door a little harder than needed. I think it's broken now.

**Me: So short! So sorry! I've been traveling, and I don't get as much time anymore, but now I have a new computer! It's a MacBook Air. Not so great, but it's better than Ancient Scrap Metal. So yeah.**

**PB Max: 178! Beat your score, Fang! :-D Ha ha!**

**PB Fang: Let me see that! (glares at iPod screen) No way! Cheater D-:**

**Me: Not again! You guys are playing Dish Smasher on Max's iPod? -_-**

**PB Fang: *smash, smash, smash, smash, smash* :D**

**Me: Whatever... but Tiny Wings is way better than anything. :-D **

**PB Max: So not true! Angry Birds rocks! :-D**

**Me: T Wings! D-:**

**PB Max: A Birds! D-:**

**PB Fang: 17**_**9**_**. Ooh, beat that! :-P**

**Me: That's enough iPod, guys.**

**PB Max: -L- you sound like our mother or something.**

**Me: Shut up. No way in a septillion years would I ever want to be a polar bear.**

**PBs: *gasp***

**PB Max: WE'RE ON STRIKE! WE'RE ON STRIKE! WE'RE ON STRIKE! WE'RE ON STRIKE! **

**PB Fang: FOR THE POLAR BEARS! AGAINST MELTING ICE CAPS! GO ENVIRONMENT! BOO CARS!**

**Me: Oh no. *stampede* *looks outside window***

**More PBs: HUMANS REDUCE CO2! POLAR ICE IS MELTING! UNCLE FERDINAND ALMOST DROWNED! POLAH BEAHS! POLAH BEAHS! POLAH BEAHS! **

**Me: **

**Me:**

**Me: *face-palm***


End file.
